Vieques, P.R. – At about 9:15 pm on Thursday, May 18, 2000, a convoy of about seven Navy vehicles lined up inside the gate of Camp Garcia. At that time many people were present in Camp for Justice and Peace in Vieques, both in the house iacross the street from the gate and in the adjacent camp to the north of the house.

The convoy passed through the gate and took a right onto the road. Robert Rabin, leader of the Camp for Justice and Peace in Vieques and of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, was already heading North on the same road in a red jeep. The Navy convoy pulled up behind him and the first vehicle bumped Bob's jeep on the fender right in front of the camp. Many people saw this happen and the events that follow below.

After Bob's jeep was hit, 4 policemen ("Fuerza de Choque") who had been standing in front of the gate, ran to the jeep. They opened his car door and then grabbed him and pulled him out of the car. These 4 policemen repeatedly beat up on Bob him with their nightsticks. They pushed him to the ground. They kicked him many times. Then they put handcuffs on him. They brought him to sit on the ground in the entrance to Camp Garcia.

We were able to take photos of this senseless brutality against Bob with disposable cameras. We plan to make these photos available to the media as soon as possible.

About 11 policemen stood in a line along the street with Bob sitting behind handcuffed. People from the Camp gathered on the other side of the street to observe what would happen to Bob. Then many more police cars and police arrived and joined the police line.

By the time that Bob was taken away at about 10:15 pm, there were about 35 policemen guarding him and about 7-8 police buses parked around the area. Bob was able to report to us that he was in great pain, most likley his back and his kidneys. Then police took him to the local hospital (Jesusa Centeno). At about 11:00pm, because of his condition, they had to transport him by plane to the emergency room of San Pablo hospital in Fajardo.

At 10:20PM or so - after Bob had been taken from the scene where he was beaten, the 30-plus police moved their line to block the road (instead of blocking the gate) - leaving the entrance to the gate open to the road from the south. At 10:30 a convoy of about 10 cars arrived from the south (from the direction of Esperanza) at fast speed and entered Camp Garcia. Only one or two were military vehicles, the other 7-8 appeared to be civilian cars carrying military personnel. After they entered the gate was closed again.

Perhaps the first military convoy leaving the base was intended to divert attention from the convoy that arrived to the base from the south later.

We denounce this senseless and unprovoked brutality against one of the great leaders of the peaceful movement to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques.

May 18, 2000