Anti-war sit-in, student arrests draw attention
Cordaro in custody, high school students released remain politically active
Peter Drizhal
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: News
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As caucus time draws closer, more activist groups hope to grab attention for their cause. On Sept. 21, a former priest, a mother and four high school students were arrested for criminal trespassing during an anti-war sit-in at Sen. Chuck Grassley's Des Moines Federal Building office.
Frank Cordaro, 56, who was ordained by Bishop Dingman in 1985 and served as a priest until 2003, was sentenced to 30 days in prison last Friday by Polk County District Associate Judge Cynthia Moisan. This was more a result of not paying outstanding fines for his past anti-war activism, rather than a penalty stemming from the criminal trespass arrest at an anti-war sit-in at the Republican senator's office.
Cordaro co-founded the Des Moines Catholic Worker Community in 1976 and was asked by the newly founded student group, Students Beyond War, to join in its peace activism "occupation" of Grassley's office.
Abby Olson, 17, of Dowling Catholic High School; Aaron Glynn, 18, and Amanda Hicks, 17, both of Hoover High School; and Reetzi Hughes, 14, of Roosevelt High School all refused to leave the senator's office at the end of the workday. Hughes' mother, Renee Espeland, 46, co-coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, was also part of the three-hour occupation but pled guilty and was released with a fine.
Olson said Students Beyond War started out of Dowling activist groups "Hands and Feet of Justice" and a few others. Subsequently, a group of friends and like-minded students from Hoover and Roosevelt developed the idea of a larger organization.
"We were hoping to involve students from Ames, but that didn't gel," Olson said.
After a month of brainstorming, 15 Des Moines area students set a date for a peaceful protest at Grassley's office, culminating with a night-before training workshop focused on non-violent and civil resistance. The meeting "was only mandatory for the four of us who decided we'd (go as far as to) be arrested," Olson said.
Olson and her mother, Julie Fugenschuh, had visited the Des Moines Catholic Worker House, located at 1310 7th Street before, and Cordaro agreed to visit the fledgling anti-war Students Beyond War group to give pointers about, and a theoretical overview of, non-violent activism.
Frank Cordaro, 56, who was ordained by Bishop Dingman in 1985 and served as a priest until 2003, was sentenced to 30 days in prison last Friday by Polk County District Associate Judge Cynthia Moisan. This was more a result of not paying outstanding fines for his past anti-war activism, rather than a penalty stemming from the criminal trespass arrest at an anti-war sit-in at the Republican senator's office.
Cordaro co-founded the Des Moines Catholic Worker Community in 1976 and was asked by the newly founded student group, Students Beyond War, to join in its peace activism "occupation" of Grassley's office.
Abby Olson, 17, of Dowling Catholic High School; Aaron Glynn, 18, and Amanda Hicks, 17, both of Hoover High School; and Reetzi Hughes, 14, of Roosevelt High School all refused to leave the senator's office at the end of the workday. Hughes' mother, Renee Espeland, 46, co-coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, was also part of the three-hour occupation but pled guilty and was released with a fine.
Olson said Students Beyond War started out of Dowling activist groups "Hands and Feet of Justice" and a few others. Subsequently, a group of friends and like-minded students from Hoover and Roosevelt developed the idea of a larger organization.
"We were hoping to involve students from Ames, but that didn't gel," Olson said.
After a month of brainstorming, 15 Des Moines area students set a date for a peaceful protest at Grassley's office, culminating with a night-before training workshop focused on non-violent and civil resistance. The meeting "was only mandatory for the four of us who decided we'd (go as far as to) be arrested," Olson said.
Olson and her mother, Julie Fugenschuh, had visited the Des Moines Catholic Worker House, located at 1310 7th Street before, and Cordaro agreed to visit the fledgling anti-war Students Beyond War group to give pointers about, and a theoretical overview of, non-violent activism.
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