Attempted Citizen's Arrest of Bush at UN

Came across the following item on Infoshop News through a link on TawNews. I wonder on what legal grounds the arrest was blocked?

1,000 Attempt Citizen's Arrest of Bush at UN; Blocked by Police, 10 to 12 Arrests

Wednesday, September 26 2007 @ 09:15 AM PDT
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 282

9/25/07

A citizen's arrest warrant has been issued! Please do your duty and see that it is served!

As George Bush made his appearance and speech today at the United Nations in NYC, 1,000 people issued a citizen's arrest warrant against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The day began with twelve separate feeder marches converging from across the city, consisting of perhaps several hundred protesters. The people carried 20 large coffins with them and marched from all five boroughs toward Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza and the UN Building where Bush was speaking. The feeder marches were organized by Arrest Cheney First, the War Resister's League, Witness Against Torture, Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS-NYC) and others.

Police had already set up a protest pen outside of the UN for a rally called by the vanguardist World Can't Wait, and quickly moved to herd the marchers into the pens. When members of the War Resister's League exited the pen to deliver the arrest warrant, police arrested 8 of them and grabbed three or four unaffiliated protesters from the pen as well, at approximately 10:30 am.

Eventually, the original contingent of marchers and several hundred others got tired of the pens and began to march south on Second Avenue toward Washington Square Park. A few attempts were made to march in the street, but police reacted violently, shoving and pushing marchers back onto the sidewalk. In the process, police also seized any megaphones they saw. Several protesters sustained injuries in these encounters, but no arrests were made. In all, about 500 people made their way to Washington Square Park.

The idea of citizen's arrest has its roots in common law, and allows for any citizen to execute an arrest on someone who they witness committing a felony offense. All states in the United States allow for citizen's arrest, except for North Carolina, which follows different statutes. Those undertaking a citizen's arrest can still be held liable in civil or criminal court for any damages they inflict in the process. However, they have full rights to detain and arrest a suspect who they witness in commission of a felony.

Applicable felonies in this case include, but are not limited to: treason, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, perjury, conspiracy malfeasance in office, fraud, embezzlement, and kidnapping.

Under established international and military law, also, the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity, for which, as commander in chief, Bush bears command responsibility for the actions of those under his command as well as for his own policies.

Under the principles of the Nuremburg Trials at the end of World War Two, Bush would be indictable for all four counts established back then:

1. Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of crime against peace;

2. Planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression and other crimes against peace;

3. War crimes;

4. Crimes against humanity.

While the efforts of citizens today to serve an arrest warrant on Bush failed, be advised: the warrant stands. Please do you duty, and try at every opportunity to bring this criminal to justice.

Official Press Release:

ARREST BUSH
www.arrestcheneyfirst.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


ARREST BUSH!
Antiwar Activists to Bring President to Justice at the UN, Tues., Sept. 25

NEW YORK – George Bush will address the United Nations General Assembly on Tues., Sept. 25. A citywide coalition of antiwar activists are preparing to receive him – and bring him to justice.

In the early morning, as New Yorkers are on their way to work, funeral processions will begin simultaneously from different points in the city, bearing coffins toward the UN and converging there at 8:30am. These will symbolize the unrelenting death and suffering caused by the illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and the illegal detentions at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and the network of secret US prisons throughout the world.

At the UN, a group of activists will say, in the name of the citizens of the world, “Arrest Bush!” The War Resisters' League, Witness Against Torture, Movement for a Democratic Society-NYC, and other groups are calling upon concerned citizens to join them on Tues., Sept. 25, to participate in the morning funeral procession and then to Arrest Bush!

For information on starting locations and times of the funeral processions, please email to: arrestbush@gmail.com.

“We must resurrect the dream that created the UN out of the nightmare of World War II. We must show courage, wisdom, and love by acting now to confront a bullying, rogue Superpower which refuses to allow the UN to act in accord with its own charter as world events bring us closer to the threat of expanded warfare and nuclear annihilation. The alarm has sounded. It blares agonizingly in our ears, beckoning conscientious action.”
– Kathy Kelly, Other Lands Have Dreams