brian on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:13:53 +0200 (CEST)


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<nettime> Please spread: Video of Iraq Vet Crushed by Police Horse at Presidential Debate


[Sorry for any cross-posting, but this material from Emily Foreman  is 
important to get out. Despite the good news from the polls we are still 
living under the boot here in the USA. Poor people's lives get wasted in 
the war, and when they try to participate in the democracy they were 
supposed to be fighting for they get their skull crushed by the police. 
When is this gonna stop?- BH]

Hello All-

I just wanted to draw your attention to this video, particularly these 
video stills, that i shot during the Iraq Veterans Against the War 
protest at the final U.S. presidential debates, last Wednesday, in Long 
Island, NY.  The video is extremely disturbing and clearly shows Iraq 
War Veteran Nick Morgan at the moment when his head was crushed to the 
sidewalk under a police horse.  This story has been completely ignored 
in the media. He was legally, peacefully and standing on the sidewalk 
when the event occurred.

The still images speak volumes to this moment in history, please look at 
them and please get them to people (journalists, activists, veterans) 
who can use them!  -  http://www.flickr.com/multiplefronts

The video is on Youtube  -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlI7tQCqwbU 
(watch in high quality)

Video links and more information are posted at  - 
http://www.iwitnessvideo.info

Last Wednesday October 15th 2008, former Army Sergeant Nick Morgan, a 24 
year old veteran of the US war in Iraq, was nearly killed by riot 
police, his face crushed under a police horse, during a peaceful protest 
outside the final US presidential debates.

Morgan is a native of Annapolis, MD who spent four-years the US Army and 
one year in Iraq.  He was a participant in the Winter Soldier hearings 
and is an active member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a 
national organization of 'Global War On Terror' veterans who had come to 
the Presidential debates in Long Island, demanding that veterans' 
concerns be heard during these nationally televised dialogues.

The IVAW had previously announced, sending a letter to CBS, that two 
veterans had prepared one question each for Obama and McCain, to be 
asked during the televised debate.  They had also announced that if they 
didn't receive a response by 7pm on the night of the debates, that those 
veterans would enter the debates anyway, in an attempt to be seen, if 
not actually have their voices heard.

On Wednesday, as the sun was going down, the veterans waited for a 
response with a crowd of civilian supporters. When no response came from 
CBS, Obama, or McCain by 7pm, they led a march peacefully to the gate of 
the debates.  Seven veterans were arrested while attempting to enter the 
gate of the national debates.

Nassau county police immediately began pushing the crowd of media, 
veterans and supporters backwards and across the street, charging riot 
cops and horses into the tightly packed crowd.  One officer, Officer 
Quagliano was seen by many witnesses to be driving his horse backwards, 
in circles and out of control, repeatedly antagonizing Nick Morgan and a 
group of Iraq War vets who were peacefully holding the front of the 
line. The IVAW veterans are committed to non-violence and committed to 
protecting 'civilians' that come out to support them.  Video shows him 
swiping Morgan and veteran Carlos Harris with the head of his horse just 
a few minutes before trampling them on the ground.

After the crowd was divided in two and fully pushed back onto the 
sidewalk with nowhere to go, Officer Quagliano continued to run his 
horse into the crowd and in circles ON the sidewalk. Riot police on foot 
began pulling people from the tightly packed sidewalk and into the way 
of Quagliano's out of control horse. At least three civilians and and 
three veterans were knocked to the ground and trampled in the undertow.

This video clearly shows the moment of impact as Officer Quagliano's 
horse backs up and steps on Nick Morgan's face.  He immediately lost 
consciousness and his lower orbital was shattered in 3 places.  After 
nearly being killed, suffering a concussion and bleeding profusely from 
the head, police actually refused to allow other soldiers and friends to 
give him medical attention and to protect him from Quagliano's horse, 
still stomping inches from his body.

A police statement later claimed that quote "a 'person' may have been 
injured when their body came into contact with a horse."  While the 
event happened quickly and in the pitch black, the momentary flashes in 
the darkness reveal a different story.

Instead, Nick Morgan was flipped, tugged, and dragged by police, 
bruising and cutting his abdomen.  He was pulled from the crowd, face 
wiped, and thrown in an arrest van with other arrested veterans.

Morgan, who already suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after 
his tour of duty in Iraq, was eventually taken to Nassau County hospital 
where he was handcuffed to a gurney, cat-scanned and given a 
prescription for antibiotics and Motrin.  Ironically, Morgan and other 
members of Iraq Veterans Against the War had come to the October debates 
with the intention of asking candidates pointed questions about lack of 
care for veterans.

A few hours later he was taken to jail, chained to a bench for five 
hours, and given a November 10th court appearance ticket for a charge of 
disorderly conduct.

Multiple veterans and civilians were injured by horses.  All were given 
insufficient medical attention at Nassau County hospital. Veteran Carlos 
Harris had his foot stepped on and was refused an X-ray at Nassau 
County.  IVAW supporter Devra Shore actually heard her foot crack under 
the hooves a horse, and she too was denied any diagnosis in Nassau County.

Nick Morgan has nerve damage and his vision is still blurry. He 
underwent facial reconstructive surgery this morning to keep his crushed 
cheekbone from sinking into his face.

The reality is that American police nearly killed an American vet last 
week with immunity, and with complete silence from the media, as he 
peacefully exercised those 'constitutional freedoms' he was sworn to 
protect and was supposedly fighting for across the world.  Anti-war 
Veterans like Nick Morgan have suffered a double betrayal, in Iraq and 
at home, and their voices deserve to be heard, if not by the 
presidential candidates, then by the American people themselves.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is - http://ivaw.org
IVAW media contact for Nick Morgan is - matthis@ivaw.org
Video and video still requests - Emily Forman -  multiplefronts@gmail.com


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