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VA Patients Take On Hospital Cops

By VVAW

Following a Dec. 18th demonstrations at the Woods VA hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and after consistent daily work, the Milwaukee chapter of VVAW/WSO returned to Woods on the evening of Feb. 20th to hold a presentation and dinner for the patients there.

The Dec. 18th demonstration--called to protest cutbacks of the VA staff, proposed taxes on vets' pensions, and inadequate GI Bill, lack of jobs, and no benefits for thousands of vets with bad discharges--was attacked by the VA police. In the ensuing 25 minute battle, eleven demonstrators were arrested. After the demonstration on Dec. 18th, VVAW/WSO members said they would return to continue their "War on the VA" which had widespread support among the patients at the hospital, including WWII and Korean war vets. Given this support for the work for the VVAW/WSO chapter among the patients and community, the VA was forced to change their tactics and allow the Milwaukee chapter access to the hospital to talk to patients and distribute WINTER SOLDIER.

On Feb. 20th, after the dinner and a few speakers, the chapter proceeded to show the video tape of the Dec. 18th demonstration at the hospital. At this point, several VA police forced their way into the auditorium, attempted to hustle patients out and became involved in a pushing and shoving match with the VVAW/WSO chapter members; in the course of the scuffle, the TV set was pushed over and smashed.

As the room slowly cleared and VVAW/WSO people moved into the hall, one chapter member was jumped by 3 VA cops, who informed the VVAW/WSO member he was under arrest for destruction of government property. Before the chapter members could come to the rescue, thirty hospital patients boldly surrounded the armed cops and jumped them, forcing them to release the prisoner and retreat down the hall. The patients obviously did not want to see VVAW/WSO members arrested.

Not satisfied with freeing the VVAW/WSO member, the enraged VA patients backed the cops down the corridor where they cornered them. One patient deftly administered an extremely solid left-hook to the jaw of the hospital recreation director. In another part of the corridor, several patients cornered another patient who they informed the chapter member was a snitch for the police. They proceeded to firmly smash him in the face with left-over food from the dinner.

The disturbance of the program was another slap in the face to the VA patients who had been continually harassed since the Dec. 18th demonstration by, among other things, having their copies of WINTER SOLDIER forcefully taken from them and VVAW/WSO buttons ripped off their clothes. Their outburst of rage was stoked by the unbearable conditions at the hospital, poor medical treatment, and a continual campaign of threats, intimidation and terror against the patients since VVAW/WSO began working at the Woods hospital on a regular basis last year.

Instead of cooling down the rising movement of vets in the hospital, the government cops have now completely unified the people inside and outside the hospital by their repressive tactics. Milwaukee chapter members have stated that they believe the cops and VA officials will now try to isolate the patients and step up their harassment, which will make it necessary for VVAW/WSO people to be at the hospital on a day-to-day basis fighting beside the patients.

This is just another example of how when the pressure is on, the people fight back, as it is being done around the country by they rising movement of vets and other people to bring down the system that oppresses us all. Unity is the key to victory in the struggle in Milwaukee and around the country. The people united will never be defeated!