Exclusive: Hillary Clinton is lecturing Donald Trump on the need to respect protesters but – in 2011 – she did nothing to stop police from brutalizing a silent protester at one of her speeches, writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
Hillary Clinton has excoriated Donald Trump for failing to stop a supporter from roughing up a protester during a speech, saying “This kind of behavior is repugnant. We set the tone for our campaigns — we should encourage respect, not violence.” Yet, in 2011, she did nothing to stop security personnel from brutalizing a 71-year-old veteran who stood silently with his back to her during a speech.
The protester, Ray McGovern, a retired Army officer and CIA analyst, was wearing a black “Veterans for Peace” T-shirt, when he was set upon within sight of Secretary of State Clinton, who ironically was delivering a speech about the importance of foreign leaders respecting dissent. The assault on McGovern left him bruised and bloodied but it didn’t cause Clinton to pause as she coolly continued on, not missing a beat.
Army veteran and ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern, standing in protest of a speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Feb. 15, 2011.
The Feb. 15, 2011 incident at George Washington University in Washington prompted an email from Clinton’s personal adviser Sidney Blumenthal who noted that “something bad happened” and suggested that Clinton have someone reach out and apologize to McGovern. Clinton, however, chose not to do so, although criminal charges against McGovern were dropped.
Subsequently, McGovern was placed on the State Department’s “Be On the Look-out” or BOLO alert list, instructing police to “USE CAUTION, stop” and question him and also contact the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Command Center.
After learning of the BOLO alert, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), which is representing McGovern in connection with the 2011 incident, interceded to have the warning lifted. But McGovern wondered if the warning played a role in 2014 when he was aggressively arrested by New York City police at the entrance to the 92nd Street Y where he had hoped to pose a question to a speaker there, one of Clinton’s friendly colleagues, former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus.
After that arrest on Oct. 30, 2014, McGovern wrote, “God only knows (and then only if God has the proper clearances) what other organs of state security had entered the ‘derogatory’ information about the danger of my ‘political activism’ into their data bases. Had my ‘derog’ been shared, perhaps, with the ever-proliferating number of ‘fusion centers’ that were so effective in sharing information to track and thwart the activists of Occupy including subversives like Quakers and Catholic Workers?”
On Feb. 15, 2011, McGovern attended Clinton’s GWU speech, deciding on the spur of the moment after feeling revulsion at the “enthusiastic applause” that welcomed the Secretary of State “to dissociate myself from the obsequious adulation of a person responsible for so much death, suffering and destruction.
“The fulsome praise for Clinton from GW’s president and the loud, sustained applause also brought to mind a phrase that as a former Soviet analyst at CIA I often read in Pravda. When reprinting the text of speeches by high Soviet officials, the Communist Party newspaper would regularly insert, in italicized parentheses: ‘Burniye applaudismenti; vce stoyat’ , Stormy applause; all rise.
“With the others at Clinton’s talk, I stood. I even clapped politely. But as the applause dragged on, I began to feel like a real phony. So, when the others finally sat down, I remained standing silently, motionless, wearing my ‘Veterans for Peace’ T-shirt, with my eyes fixed narrowly on the rear of the auditorium and my back to the Secretary.
“I did not expect what followed: a violent assault in full view of Madam Secretary by what we Soviet analysts used to call the ‘organs of state security.’ The rest is history, as they say. A short account of the incident can be found here.
“As the video of the event shows, Secretary Clinton did not miss a beat in her speech as she called for authoritarian governments to show respect for dissent and to refrain from violence. She spoke with what seemed to be an especially chilly sang froid, as she ignored my silent protest and the violent assault which took place right in front of her.
“The experience gave me personal confirmation of the impression that I reluctantly had drawn from watching her behavior and its consequences over the past decade. The incident was a kind of metaphor of the much worse violence that Secretary Clinton has coolly countenanced against others.
“Again and again, Hillary Clinton both as a U.S. senator and as Secretary of State has demonstrated a nonchalant readiness to unleash the vast destructiveness of American military power. The charitable explanation, I suppose, is that she knows nothing of war from direct personal experience.” [For more of McGovern’s account of his arrest, see Consortiumnews.com’s “Standing Up to War and Hillary Clinton.”]
Ray McGovern displaying the aftermath of his arrest during a speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Feb. 15, 2011.
Proposed Apology
In the email exchange, Blumenthal suggested that Clinton “have someone apologize to Ray McGovern,” but referred to the incident and McGovern in condescending terms, noting that McGovern’s mistreatment has “become a minor cause célèbre on the Internet among lefties.” As for McGovern, Blumenthal said the former CIA analyst who was a presidential briefer to George H.W. Bush has “become a Christian antiwar leftist who goes around bearing witness. Whatever his views, he’s harmless.”
Clinton responded, “I appreciate your sending thgis [sic] to me. Neither State nor my staff had anything to do w this. The man stood up just as I was starting and GW – which claims their quick actions were part of their standard operating procedures to remove anyone who stands up and starts speaking while an invited guest is talking – moved to remove him. GW claims he was not in any way injured.”
However, McGovern was not speaking, simply standing quietly until he was attacked by the police. As for Clinton, no apology was forthcoming, nor any further explanation of why she failed to stop police from roughing up a peaceful protester in her presence. She now has chosen to lecture Donald Trump on the need to demonstrate respect toward protesters.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com).
In a police state, there is no room for dissent – none. So, get used to it because it will only get worse.
All I can add to the comments here is that if Hillary wins the nomination, I’m voting GREEN PARTY!
With the exception of Bernie Sanders and to a lesser extent John Kasich, Clinton, Cruz, and the ex-candidates are correct but also typically hypocritical in criticizing Trump for endorsing violence at his rallies. When it comes to resolving differences with other nations these hypocrites have no problem advocating violence or the threat of violence as the first option for resolution. Come to think of it, they probably all endorsed the violence applied to the non-violent Occupy protesters. Obviously, Trump did.
America is dying when two evils are not a metaphor for who our 2 candidates, are for POTUS.
Which one would you consider the better American; Ray McGovern who witnesses by petitioning his leaders to deal with the worlds problems in a more peaceful fashion, or a Hillary Clinton who is thrilled with a chuckle to learn of a sovereign nations leader being brutally murdered by U.S. backed terrorist rebels? I am not a terribly religious man, but all I can say about Ray McGovern is blessed are the peacemakers. I won’t judge Hillary, just as I won’t ever vote for her either. I don’t wish the Clintons any bad, but I do want them to finally retire and go enjoy their grandchild and their filthy Wall Street earned money. Hillary it’s not your turn!
Joe – I agree, except that I do judge, and would wish she were indicted, tried, convicted and put away for the rest of her life- and that her fortune were forfeited and placed in a fund with trillions more from our government and the Europeans, Saudis, Turks, Qataris and Israelis to compensate the victims of the wars she promoted. And let us not forget the military-industrial-Congressional complex, or all of those others in power who have implemented their criminal policies. The list is long and goes all the way to the top, but one would do well to start with her.
I’ll go further with “incontinent reader” and judge Hillary for failing to provide any argument to the contrary. I have searched for excuses for her long enough. If she had an excuse, it would be inability to do better under powers that be, which she would have responsibility to expose as opposing the interests of the people. But the evidence is that she in fact is a major part of the problem. I’ll conclude that she is an opportunist, a shill for oligarchy, and a half-wit, completely unqualified for public office.
I would like to “third” that Joe, thanks much.
Hillary & Bill Clinton are among group of American elites who are above all laws!
Ray McGovern reminds me of one of my personal heroes, Fletcher Prouty, a proud military man who was brave enough to speak truth to power, understanding that that there may be consequences. That characteristic represents true honor, something almost universally absent in today’s government. Truth to power; a wonderful thing to behold.
Thanks Ray. Thanks Robert Parry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Fletcher_Prouty
Bob, you must’ve read “Understanding Special Operations”
http://www.ratical.org
Thanks J’hon Doe II, I was thinking of “The Secret Team” The CIA and its allies in control of The United States and The World, by Fletcher Prouty but I will get the book you mentioned as well. I’m totally enamored of real patriots like Prouty and Hugh Thompson. For me truth to power is one way to political salvation.
Some links:http://www.prouty.org
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Thompson,_Jr.
For those who are unfamiliar with Col. Prouty his military life closely matches the Donald Sutherland character in “JFK.”
Thanks for bringing this up at this time. Hillary showed a total lack of humanness as she talked on about the need for repressive regimes to respect dissent and avoid violence while a silent nonviolent man faced away from her and was beaten by two “enforcers” for it. I could call it hypocrisy but it’s actually much worse: her “real” message was for dictators to continue mouthing slogans of freedom while murdering those who speak out. Actions do speak louder than words, which is why Obama became a disappointment within months of his being sworn in and has provided as a political role model one who speaks like a smooth talking salesman while actually aiding the establishment behind the scenes.
This incident shows Hillary only cold-blooded: the dragging him and beating Ray McGovern only a few feet from what was happening in that every small room, A person with some semblance of character would at least stop speaking and ask the protester to please leave the room. Not Hillary. She really belongs in the class with Madame Albright who thought the death of 500,000 Iraqi children was worth it.
Albright now supports Clinton. Two birds of a feather. Vultures.
Ray McGovern reminds me of one of my personal heroes, Fletcher Prouty, a proud military man who was brave enough to speak truth to power, understanding that that there may be consequences. That characteristic, represents true honor, something almost universally absent in today’s government. Truth to power; a wonderful thing to behold.
Thanks Ray. Thanks Robert Parry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Fletcher_Prouty