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Eric Shaw: A Gulf War Veteran for Peace

Eric Shaw grew up believing in the American principles of freedom and civil liberties for all and joined the U. S. Marines to foster those ideals at home and abroad. After he returned to civilian life years later, he lost respect for the U.S. government during the buildup to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. When he organized anti-war demonstrations, Shaw found the surveillance intimidating. He was stunned when riot police shot at him and other peaceful protesters in Oakland, Calif. but Shaw refuses to be silenced.

My Story

Surveillance and Intimidation. When the war started in Iraq, we held large demonstrations ... (0:50)
Shooting Non-Violent Protestors. When we got to the Port of Oakland, we were met with hundreds of police ... (1:09)
The Right to Free Speech in Danger. As I noticed that people were running in a way that contributed to their danger ... (0:46)
The Price and Response to Dissent. The thing that I got shot with was what they call a ricochet round ... (1:06)

Themes

Anti-war. Protesting against any of the foreign policies of a U.S. administration, especially a President's decision to go to war, has often been viewed as a threat by that administration. The experiences of Will Bergfeld, Gren Whitman, Peggy Hutchison, Bridget Colvin, George Main and Eric Shaw connect and contrast this situation across time.