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Benjamin ConnellySOA Watch November 2001 (2001)

The US Army School of Americas (SOA), based in Fort Benning, Georgia, trains Latin American soldiers in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. SOA graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians.

This rough 30 minute video is of our group's trip there from Rochester NY, November 2001.


This movie is part of the collection: Community Video

Director: Benjamin Connelly
Producer: Benjamin Connelly
Production Company: Monopod Productions
Sponsor: SOA Watch
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: soa soawatch; school of the americas; terrorist training camp protest
Contact Information: http://monopod.net

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: whetphish - - June 16, 2005
Subject: Amazing Footage Highlighting an Important Issue
I was completely taken back by this film. It's very moving and provocative and highlights something that should never have been created and needs to be shut down immediately.

The footage is really good, and coupled with the on-screen commentary it really documents this valid protest well and explains to you exactly why these thousands of people are protesting.

Being from the United Kingdom, I hadn't heard about this before. I am aware of a lot of the atrocities caused by the American government, but this still shocked me.

The only thing I would say against this film is that I would have liked to have seen footage of people from faiths other than Christianity such as my own as I think this would have conveyed a stronger message of solidarity and agreement among various religions that this is a bad bad thing.

If you've got an ounce of compassion for the murdered families in South America, download it now!

Credits

http://soawatch.org
http://monopod.net

Segments

2001 was the first year the gates to the base were blocked, so for folks to get arrested, more creative direct actions were needed. The video is a view of the trek from Rochester to Georgia to protest this terrorist training camp.

Shotlist

Father Roy Bourgeois giving November 2001 Press Speech.
Saturday rally in baseball park -- giant live puppet show -- music.
Sunday traditional procession. Coffins.
Die ins. etc.
Keep on keepin on.