War Protesters Enter Pleas of Not Guilty

Nine anti-war protesters arrested during a demonstration in front of the federal building in Santa Ana last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of blocking a public thoroughfare.

The defendants, all members of Alliance for Survival, including the group’s executive director, Marion Pack, were arraigned before Municipal Judge William P. Hopkins in Santa Ana. If convicted, the protesters could face a up to a year in County Jail, their lawyer said.

“We want it known why we did what we did,” said Pack, 44. “The word patriotism is out there on many people’s lips but they haven’t checked a dictionary. . . . The definition of patriotism is to love one’s country and vigorously guard its welfare.

“I for one do not feel it is in the best interest or the welfare of this country to be engaged in a war in the Middle East,” she said.

Pack said the demonstrators blocked Santa Ana Boulevard during the Jan. 17 protest after they were denied entrance to the federal building. The nine protesters in this case were arrested by Santa Ana police, but three others who were blocking the door of the federal building were apprehended by federal officers.

Pack said she would like to defend herself against the charges with what is called a “defense of necessity.”

That means the court could find that the offense is outweighed by the purpose for the conduct, especially if it served the public interest, said the protesters’ attorney, William H. Steiner of Santa Ana.

“There is a situation where the public interest is served in enforcing rules about distributing leaflets or the manner of speech and assembly, but the public interest is also often served by what these people have to say, the message they are attempting to convey,” Steiner said. “In some cases where the conduct is relatively minor, the courts have found that the public is better served by not criminally prosecuting the conduct.”

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 6.