Eve Tetaz
Encyclopedia
Eve Tetaz, 78, is a retired Washington, D.C. public-school teacher and a peace and justice activist. Tetaz was arrested 11 times in 2007 for nonviolent civil resistance
during protests against the war and occupation of Iraq
. She has been arrested approximately a dozen times between 2008 and early 2010.
Tetaz was one of 16 anti-torture protesters who were arrested for a protest on October 17, 2006 in front of the White House. The arrests occurred the same day President George W. Bush
signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006
.
On November 2, 2007 Tetaz was sentenced to seven days in the D.C. Jail after pleading no contest to two counts of failure to obey a lawful order and one count of unlawful assembly incommoding. In her sentencing statement, she said she would continue to speak out against the war and occupation of Iraq.
Tetaz continues to engage in nonviolent direct action in 2008, including the January 11th "Shut Down Guantanamo Day" action at the U.S. Supreme Court. On that day 82 activists were arrested inside and outside of the Supreme Court, demanding that the U.S. government close the Guantanamo prison and immediately bring all prisoners before a court of law.
In another nonviolent direct action, a week before the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Tetaz and 9 others spoke out from the Senate gallery while the legislative body was in session. They represented ghosts of individuals killed in the war and military occupation, and called on the Senate to cease its funding. They have been charged with Disrupting Congress.
On April 9, 2009 Tetaz joined 13 other peace activists, including Kathy Kelly
with Voices for Creative Nonviolence and Louie Vitale
of Pace Bene, in protesting the military's use of unmanned drone bombers. The group was arrested at Creech U.S. Air Force Base in Nevada as they attempted to meet with personnel who operate the drone bombers.
Tetaz has been involved with several peace and justice groups, such as Code Pink
and National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
.
In March 2010, following Tetaz's longest jail sentence to date, she explained her personal beliefs and why she will continue to protest against war and "crimes against the entire human family" in a letter to the editor of The Washington Post.
.
At the end of May 2008, Eve was sentenced to five days in D.C. Jail after being found guilty by Judge Wendell Gardner of breaking the law on January 11th of the same year. She also received unsupervised probation and a stay away order from the Supreme Court for a year.
On April 2, 2009, there were oral arguments before the D.C. Court of Appeals regarding Eve's September 2006 arrest in case no. 07-CT-140+, Eve L. Tetaz, et al. v. District of Columbia. The oral argument was available for video internet streaming.
In October 2009, Tetaz was on trial with co-defendants Ellen Barfield, Steve Mihalis, and Pete Perry
. The four peace and justice activists were charged with Disruption of Congress after protesting during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. On January 25, 2010, Tetaz was sentenced by Judge Lynn Leibovitz to 25 days in jail after being convicted in the trial related to the Senate Foreign Relations hearing action.
Civil resistance
The term civil resistance, alongside the term nonviolent resistance, is used to describe political action that relies on the use of non-violent methods by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and...
during protests against the war and occupation of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. She has been arrested approximately a dozen times between 2008 and early 2010.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006
Military Commissions Act of 2006
The United States Military Commissions Act of 2006, also known as HR-6166, was an Act of Congress signed by President George W. Bush on October 17, 2006. Drafted in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on Hamdan v...
.
On November 2, 2007 Tetaz was sentenced to seven days in the D.C. Jail after pleading no contest to two counts of failure to obey a lawful order and one count of unlawful assembly incommoding. In her sentencing statement, she said she would continue to speak out against the war and occupation of Iraq.
Tetaz continues to engage in nonviolent direct action in 2008, including the January 11th "Shut Down Guantanamo Day" action at the U.S. Supreme Court. On that day 82 activists were arrested inside and outside of the Supreme Court, demanding that the U.S. government close the Guantanamo prison and immediately bring all prisoners before a court of law.
In another nonviolent direct action, a week before the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Tetaz and 9 others spoke out from the Senate gallery while the legislative body was in session. They represented ghosts of individuals killed in the war and military occupation, and called on the Senate to cease its funding. They have been charged with Disrupting Congress.
On April 9, 2009 Tetaz joined 13 other peace activists, including Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly is an American peace activist, pacifist and author, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has been described as "probably the most respected leader in the...
with Voices for Creative Nonviolence and Louie Vitale
Louie Vitale
Fr. Louis Vitale, OFM, is a Franciscan priest, activist, and a co-founder of Nevada Desert Experience. He has engaged in civil disobedience for nearly four decades in pursuit of peace and justice, and has been arrested more than 200 times. Vitale says that St...
of Pace Bene, in protesting the military's use of unmanned drone bombers. The group was arrested at Creech U.S. Air Force Base in Nevada as they attempted to meet with personnel who operate the drone bombers.
Tetaz has been involved with several peace and justice groups, such as Code Pink
Code Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
and National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
Founded in 2002, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance is a nationwide network of individuals and organizations committed to ending the war in Iraq, utilizing the nonviolent practices and disciplines of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr...
.
In March 2010, following Tetaz's longest jail sentence to date, she explained her personal beliefs and why she will continue to protest against war and "crimes against the entire human family" in a letter to the editor of The Washington Post.
Other Sentences and Appeals
In November 2007, Tetaz completed approximately a week in jail for a number of nonviolent protests earlier in the year. This included a Mother's Day march from the White House to Capitol Hill, which featured anti-war activist and Gold Star mother, Cindy SheehanCindy Sheehan
Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan is an American anti-war activist whose son, U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed by enemy action during the Iraq War. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war protest at a makeshift camp outside President...
.
At the end of May 2008, Eve was sentenced to five days in D.C. Jail after being found guilty by Judge Wendell Gardner of breaking the law on January 11th of the same year. She also received unsupervised probation and a stay away order from the Supreme Court for a year.
On April 2, 2009, there were oral arguments before the D.C. Court of Appeals regarding Eve's September 2006 arrest in case no. 07-CT-140+, Eve L. Tetaz, et al. v. District of Columbia. The oral argument was available for video internet streaming.
In October 2009, Tetaz was on trial with co-defendants Ellen Barfield, Steve Mihalis, and Pete Perry
Pete Perry
Peter Perry was born in Washington, DC on October 31, 1969. He is a peace and social justice activist who has been affiliated with the DC Anti-War Network and the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance ....
. The four peace and justice activists were charged with Disruption of Congress after protesting during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. On January 25, 2010, Tetaz was sentenced by Judge Lynn Leibovitz to 25 days in jail after being convicted in the trial related to the Senate Foreign Relations hearing action.