June 30 - Paul “zool” Zulkowitz of Woodmere, NY, represented by antiwar attorney Ann Wilcox, won an agreement with the United States Government today. Zool voiced opposition during the public hearing with General David Petraeus at the Senate Armed Services Committee chaired by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), on April 8, 2008. Zool stood and chanted “Bring them home, bring them home! . . . ,” was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of “disruption of Congress.” Rather than a jury trial and possible 6 months in jail, Zool walked out of the courtroom with a diversion agreement and a dismissal of the stay-way order from Capitol Hill.

“Contrary to Sen. Levin's view, citizens attending a public hearing are not an 'audience',” Zool stated. “Though I might have considered the Petraeus hearing to be a farce, the Committee is 'doing the people's business,' and citizens, members of the public, have a responsibility to hold elected representatives accountable for the way they do the people's business.”

Invited speakers include Desiree Ali-Fairooz of Code Pink (whose high-profile confrontation with Condoleezza Rice was seen around the world), Washington, DC based activist and artist David Barrows, Iraq Veterans against the War (IVAW) leaders Sgts. Adam Kokesh and Geoff Millard, Col. Ann Wright (Ret.), Brian Becker of ANSWER, Malachy Kilbride, President of the Board of Directors of Washington Peace Center, Code Pink co-founder Gael Murphy, and DC Statehood Green leader Adam Eidinger.

Ann Wilcox of the National Lawyers’ Guild, stated that: “The offer of dismissal before judgment is a victory, because the Government does not necessarily want to expend the time and resources for a jury trial. Further, the Government may not want to provide a forum for antiwar views in the Court of Public Opinion.”

The rally will begin at 8:00 am, with the press conference to be held at 8:30 a.m. Speakers will make brief remarks, followed by questions from the press. Jay Marx, co-coordinator of the Washington Peace Center, will emcee the Antiwar Victory Rally.