Veterans Peace Team Statement of Purpose
People of color, immigrants, and working-class communities in the United States of America have long been on the receiving end of police brutality.
The violence of the system, however, can and will target anyone who stands up for justice and opposes the exploitation of the 99 percent by the 1 percent.
The Veterans For Peace Statement of Purpose states that we pledge to work for the elimination of war—the ultimate violence. As veterans of conscience, we are compelled to take a stand against police violence toward the national Occupy movement and others seeking a more just system.
Veterans Peace Team, a national project of Veterans For Peace, will be made available as we can to Occupy and other protest sites where the local general assemblies or decision-making bodies request our participation.
These Veterans Peace Teams will act as an unarmed, nonviolent presence standing with peaceful protestors, taking a front line if necessary, nonviolently confronting, documenting and opposing any and all use of force by police, national guard, regular military, or private contractors against peaceful protestors exercising their right to assemble and seek redress of grievances.
As veterans with non-veteran citizen allies standing in solidarity with us, we implore individual officers, police agencies, elected officials and government agencies to use restraint, negotiation and common sense when dealing with peaceful protesters.
We realize that those employed in law enforcement are part of the 99 percent, and we call upon all police personnel not to be a domestic front line force for the 1 percent—but to honor and perform their duty to serve and protect the people.
The Veterans Peace Team mission as veterans and allies is to nonviolently confront, document, and thereby expose the inherent or actual violence of those institutions that would use violence to impose their will on others.
Contact: veteranspeaceteam@gmail.com