Seven more protesters are arrested in Vieques
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- (AFP) -- Seven more protesters were arrested Tuesday for illegally entering the Navy's restricted bombing range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as military exercises continued for a second day.
Jackie Jackson, the wife of civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson, has refused to post bail set at $3,000 by a federal magistrate here after her arrest Monday.
Attorneys for Jackson, 57, said she would remain in a federal prison until her trial on trespassing charges or until a federal magistrate allows her to be released on her own recognizance.
"I want my dignity,'' a handcuffed Jackson shouted as U.S. marshals led her out of court.
Federal authorities have detained 24 protesters since the Navy's exercises began on Monday, with most of them refusing to post bail.
The Navy planned to begin air-to-shore bombing Tuesday, Navy spokesman Bob Nelson said, adding that ``if we find anyone out there, we will stop training on range to remove them.''
Ismael Guadalupe, a protest leader, said there were dozens of people hiding in the bushes surrounding the range.
"The Navy is more prepared than ever to catch people going in, but we are entering using a different strategy, which I am not at liberty to discuss,'' he said.
The military maneuvers on Vieques resumed days after President Bush announced they are to be halted in May 2003.
Bush's announcement Thursday was a victory for activists who have waged a campaign of protests and civil disobedience to halt bombings on the island since a civilian guard was killed by an errant Marine Corps bomb more than two years ago. But opponents of the training want the exercises stopped immediately.
© 2001