Franciscan priest arrested at White House during Iraq War protest

Published: 2006-07-31

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A Catholic priest arrested July 28 for blocking a White House entrance said the protest was "a nonviolent way of showing our concern" there be a speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Franciscan Father Louis Vitale, 74, said he and the four other demonstrators who were arrested wanted President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to set a date for withdrawing coalition troops from Iraq. The midday protest took place as Bush and Blair were meeting in the White House. "When they (Bush and Blair) come together things escalate or at least there is no scaling back," Father Vitale told Catholic News Service July 31. Arrested with Father Vitale were: Diane Wilson, co-founder of an anti-war group called CodePink; retired Army Col. Ann Wright; Martha Odom of Portland, Ore.; and Eve Tetaz of Washington. "Our vigil was symbolic. We told Bush and Blair to stay in the White House until they came up with some agreement to get our troops out," the priest said in a telephone interview in Washington. The demonstrators also were asking the two world leaders to push for a cease-fire in the Middle East between Israel and Hezbollah.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .