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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

10 "Grannies for Peace" arrested in Philly


The protesters remained inside the building after it closed at 1:30 p.m., and were arrested about three hours later. Police did not handcuff the women, who waved to cheering demonstrators as they were led into two police vans and one unmarked car.

Among those arrested was Lillian Willoughby, of Deptford, N.J., who earlier gave her age as 91 1/2. Willoughby, who uses a wheelchair, spent nearly a week in federal prison in 2004 for blocking the entrance to the federal courthouse during a war protest.

Several dozen protesters, some using wheelchairs, canes or walkers and many sporting festive flower-festooned hats, held signs and chanted outside the downtown Armed Forces Recruiting Center. Some drivers waved and honked their horns in support, and the grandmothers replied by cheering and clapping.

"We're saying, 'I've lived my life. Let me go to Iraq instead of our grandchildren, so they have a chance to live their lives,'" said Jean Haskell, 74, a grandmother of five from Philadelphia.

The grandmothers were joined in front of the recruiting center by members of other anti-war organizations, whose members chanted, "We insist. Let the grannies enlist."

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