11/21/2004:: Over 16,000 people protested at the gates of Fort Benning in Georgia today. At least 20 people were arrested today in acts of civil disobedience- some climbed a 10-foot fence to try to gain entrance to the base. Photos Initial Report
The School of the Americas Watch and Veterans For Peace roadtrip to Fort Benning, Georgia left San Francisco Saturday morning, November 6th. It had 8 major stops before it arrived at Fort Benning.

From November 19-21, 2004: Thousands of protesters converged on Ft. Benning in Georgia for the annual protest against the School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation or WHISC). For over a decade, students, religious, labor, veterans, human rights, and social/global justice groups have been converging every November at the gates of Fort Benning, GA to speak out in solidarity with the people of the Americas and to engage in nonviolent direct action (Legal info about civil disobedience at this year's protest). This year's protests were viewed as part of the struggle to close the SOA and to change the policies it represents.

This fall, SOA Watch and protesters everywhere won a significant legal battle. On Friday, October 15, 2004, the court ruled unanimously that the Columbus City policy of metal detector searches at checkpoints at SOA Watch protest sites violates the First and Fourth Amendments to the Constitution. The decision stated that protesters may not be required to pass through metal detectors to enter the rally site. “We cannot simply suspend or restrict civil liberties until the War of Terror is over, because the War on Terror is unlikely ever to be truly over,” Judge Gerald Tjoflat wrote for the three-member court. “Sept. 11, 2001, already a day of immeasurable tragedy, cannot be the day liberty perished in this country.” SOA Watch says, "Since September 11, we have seen a dramatic increase in attacks on civil liberties, including the unconstitutional limiting of the ability of citizens to peaceably assemble and 'to petition the government for redress of grievances.' This ruling has far-reaching implications and importance not only for SOA Watch but also for all of us struggling to uphold human rights and civil liberties." More info about this case

Protest Organizing Info Enough is Enough revolutionary contingent for Humanity and against Neoliberalism SOAW Run on 11/19-20. Peace Pilgrimage 11/13-21