SIERRA VISTA, Ariz – Nearly 300 enthusiastic anti-war, anti-torture demonstrators from around the southwest lined the streets outside the main gate of Fort Huachuca Nov. 18, 2007 playing music, reading poetry, flying flags and yelling, “Close Guantanamo,” “No torture” and “Out of Iraq.”

The no-torture protest took place at the same time thousands rallied against torture at Fort Benning, Ga., home to School of the Americas, which trains South American soldiers in intelligence gathering techniques.

“We are here to stand against the war and torture,” said Rick Ufford-Chase, director of a Presbyterian peace fellowship. “Torture doesn’t bring truth it only causes more damage.”

Veterans, military mothers, army wives and others stood in opposition of the anti-torture protestors. They held signs reading “Jumpsuits for Jihad” and “We Support the Troops,” while anti-torture demonstrators spoke out against U.S. torture of detainees and involvement in the Middle East.

One protestor agued that the U.S. constitution could lose its value if citizens don’t wake up and start excersiing their rights.

Human rights lawyer Gail Brown, founder of the No-to-Torture organization, agued that the U.S. government is ignoring the Geneva Convention and the rules don’t apply any more
“This issue is a lot bigger than a few hundred prisoners in Guantanamo,” Brown said.
One activist stressed that the U.S. government should let taxpayers know what they are teaching in intelligence schools.

“We are striving for full oversight of any U.S. military or CIA intelligence school,” Ufford-Chase said.

Though many groups were calling for more oversight, the Army says there is already plenty of oversight taking place, according to Fort Huachuca public affairs officer Lt. Col. Matthew Garner.
“These people don’t have the facts,” Garner said in a phone interview.

Garner insisted that the Army has every intention of continuing the oversight of its intelligence training.

“We routinely welcome members of Congress and their staffers as well as members of the media to observe what goes on here at the Army’s National School of Intelligence,” Garner said.

“We will continue to be very open and transparent with our training.”

Military supporters were outraged by the claims of the no-to-torture protestors.

“When they start to come against my husband and my two sons and our military, calling them torturers and rapists that’s when I’m going to be out here to tell them they are liars,” marine mother Pat Sexton said.

Tensions continued to rise as the afternoon’s events progressed with song, dance, and continuous yelling across the orange barrier segregating the anti-war and anti-torture protestors from the pro-military protestors.

Ultimately, three anti-torture protestors were arrested for trespassing on federal property.
“We gave them ample warning that they were entering federal property and that they would be arrested if they did not desist,” Garner said.

No matter what side of the dividing line protestors stood on, many expressed their love for the U.S. despite their different views on U.S intervention in the Middle East.

“I don’t think patriotism is following your orders, but instead questioning them, said Michelle Closs, a former UA Marine ROTC student. “That’s why I’m out here today. I really love this country, but I don’t support what is going on overseas, it’s just not right.”