Clooney and 12 activists arrested over Sudanese embassy protests
March 16, 2012 (WASHINGTON) – American police on Friday arrested American actor George Clooney and a dozen of protesters who had gathered at the
Sudanese Embassy in Washington D.C to protest against the country’s
president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the UK Telegraph reported.
in the back of a United States (US) Secret Service van and taken away.
The activists had been given three verbal warnings prior to the arrest, which they ignored.
They largely blamed the government of Sudan for indiscriminate attacks
and killing of innocent civilians in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile
states.
“I’m just trying to raise attention. Let your Congress know, let your
president know,” Clooney said, adding that, “It’s actually
a humiliating thing to be arrested no matter what you do, but I’m glad
to be standing here with my father”.
On Wednesday, he testified before the US foreign relations committee,
where he openly accused the Sudanese leader of “provoking” a
humanitarian crisis by allegedly blocking food aid from entering the
troubled Nuba Mountain region in South Kordofan state.
The US peace activist, known for his satellite sentinel project, urged
the international committee to act toughly towards Bashir, who is wanted
by the Hague based International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes
and crimes against humanity.
The organisation which he co-founded with Enough Project
director John Prendergast, uses satellite images to monitor North and South Sudan to deter violence, which Clooney calls “anti-genocide paparazzi”.
“We as Americans – as human beings – have to make sure that these
atrocities do not take place,” he said, adding “Access to food and supplies must not be used as a weapon”.
Dozens of activists reportedly gathered outside the embassy chanting
“arrest Bashir!” and “Bashir to the ICC!”
Sudan refuses to allow international aid group to work in the rebel held areas in South Kordofan, expressing fears that the humanitarian assistance will go to the rebel troops also.
Khartoum, which demands a ceasefire agreement in the region, is studying a tripartite proposal to authorise the distribution of humanitarian with Arab League and African Union monitors.
(ST)