Grannies for peace verdict: guilty of trying to stop the war

Salt shakers
May 2006

Grannies for peace verdict:
guilty of trying to stop the war
While the jury is still out on the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq, 18 grandmothers, better knowns as the Grannies for Peace New York Chapter, were acquited on all counts after being arrested for disorderly conduct in October 2005.

The grandmothers were accused of blocking pedestrian traffic at the Times Square Army recruitment center in mid-town Manhattan after the women presented themselves for enlistment on October 17. They told army recruiters, "We insist/we enlist," arguing that the military should take them into Iraq service rather than their grandchildren.

Testifying in the non-jury trial, all 18 testified they didn't block anyone from entering the recruitment office. Judge Neil Ross accepted their defense and found each of them not guilty on April 27.

The women ranged in age from 59 to 91 and protest each week in Times Square against the war. Their campaign, arrest, and trial drew media attention from around the world. The Grannies celebrated their court victory by breaking into song outside the courthouse after the verdict, singing "God Help America" to the tune of "God Bless America."

Asked what the judges decision meant to her, Grannies for Peace member, Joan Wile, 74, a retired singer, said, "Listen to your granny, and take to the streets like we did."

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