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(Glendale, AZ) An Arizona National Guardsman with a webblog critical of US efforts in Iraq has come under investigation. Specialist Leonard Clark is a member of the Arizona National Guard’s 860th Military Police Company. He’s forty years old with a daughter and wife in Glendale. While deployed in Iraq, Clark has been speaking out against the war and recently announced his intentions to run for office.

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I just spoke with Leonard’s wife (Wednesday morning, July 13, ‘05) and she informed me that Leonard called her last night and told her he was released from his arrest. This is good news and thanks to all of you that helped get the word out! I have no other details right now, but will keep you posted.

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A man arrested in downtown Houston last year for carrying a sign criticizing President Bush filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, accusing police of violating his free-speech rights.

Chris Kelly, 43, is suing officer David Weaver, 37, 10 unidentified officers and an unidentified supervisor for arresting him and issuing a misdemeanor citation listing his offense as "Carrying a poster bearing the legend 'No more Bush-it.' "

Kelly, who said he was a salesman before becoming disabled, said Wednesday that he was surprised the officers appeared unaware of the constitutional right to free speech.

"I thought that police officers would be the first ones instructed on understanding that this is one of the gifts our country gives us," he said.

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War protester pulled from Oswego County parade, arrested

Mark Harris, a 20-year veteran of the Air Force, was not pleased to see a sign-carrying Iraq war protester in Thursday night's Mexico Volunteer Fire Department Field Days parade.

What he saw happen to the man, though, raised some questions for him and, he said, his children.

An Oswego County sheriff's deputy pulled Joshua A. Davies, 23, of 25B North St. in Mexico, out of the parade and charged him with disorderly conduct. Davies had been walking in the parade carrying, Harris said, an "Impeach Bush" sign and another sign calling for an end to the war in Iraq.
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Harris said he saw Davies get searched, handcuffed and put in a sheriff's patrol car. Harris said Davies was kept in the car until the parade ended about 45 minutes later.

"My kids watched it," said Harris. "Some asked, 'Can they do that?' "

They were talking about what the deputy did, not the protester. And it wasn't just children asking the question, Harris said. "There were older people, senior citizens, saying it too."

Oswego County Sheriff Reuel Todd said Davies was arrested because he was a spectator who jumped into the middle of the parade. "He was not entered in the parade," Todd said.

"We had a complaint that he disrupted the parade," Todd added. "He was arrested and released on an appearance ticket."

A man who answered the phone at the Mexico fire station, who declined to give his name, said Friday that all anyone had to do to be in the parade was ask permission.

"I felt bad that he was there," Harris said of Davies, "but I thought he had the right to his opinion."

"This was a signal to the kids that you can't do that here," Harris said. "Dissent, I mean. I thought that's what being an American means - the right to protest, to speak your mind."

Davies could not be reached for comment.

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