Acquitted

She is not going to be moved. Oakland, CA; April 17, 2006

Congratulations to the 18 Grannies for Peace acquitted of blocking a military recruiting office in New York City.

"I was sure we were sunk," said Lillian Rydell, 86, a defendant who testified during the trial that she went to "the school of hard knocks," instead of college.

"I love everybody," she said. The defendants called themselves "grannies" because they are all old enough to be grandmothers, even if some of them are not, and because in their view, grandmothers are a core American value, as patriotic as mom and apple pie....

When it was over, the grannies seemed ready to do it again. "The decision today says the First Amendment protects you to protest peacefully," Mr. Siegel [the grandmothers' attorney] said, addressing his clients outside the courthouse after the verdict. "So — go do it!"

And the grannies cheered.

I bet they'll all be out at the march in New York tomorrow.