Upstate Coalition to
Ground the Drones and End the Wars

N E W S    R E L E A S E

November 3, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carol Baum, 315-472-5478 (SPC), 315-383-5738 (cell)
Mary Anne Grady Flores 607-280-8797

Ramsey Clark to Testify as Expert Witness at Hancock 38 Trial

Press Conference Featuring Clark on Thursday, November 3 at 2:30

There will be a press conference featuring Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark at 2:30 on Thursday, November 3 outside the DeWitt Court House (5400 Butternut, East Syracuse), prior to the beginning of the day’s testimony in the case of the Hancock 38 Drone Resistors.  Clark will testify as an expert witness on behalf of the defense during Thursday’s proceedings.

Clark will testify regarding the status of U.S. and international law on human rights violations and the rights of citizens under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Clark, the U.S. Attorney General under Lyndon Johnson, played a significant role in drafting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Clark said, “Coming to Syracuse feels like a homecoming – the Syracuse area has a rich history of resistance, including that of my old friends the Berrigans.”

Defendant Mary Anne Grady Flores of Ithaca stated, “Having Ramsey testify is just wonderful because he not only is an expert in constitutional and international law, but has lived the history and has been on the ground in countries that the U.S. has invaded. He has personally witnessed U.S. war crimes.”

Clark will not be available for interviews prior to the news conference.

The Hancock 38 Drone Resisters are on trial for their die-in at the main entrance of Hancock Air Base last April. The Base is becoming a major player in U.S. drone warfare; drones flying over Afghanistan are piloted from there, and drone pilots, sensor operators and maintenance technicians are trained there.