WESTMINSTER, Colo.—A Boulder activist was sentenced to a month in jail for an anti-war protest in U.S. Rep. Mark Udall’s office.
Carolyn Bninski, 57, was also ordered Friday to pay a $500 fine. She had rejected a plea deal and stood trial in Westminster municipal court.
Bninski, an activist with the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, was convicted of trespassing.
“I don’t regret that I participated in this action. It’s a small thing to do, compared to the suffering of Iraqis,” Bninski said.
She and four others occupied Udall’s Westminster office to protest his votes for continued funding of the Iraq war. Udall, a Democrat, voted in 2002 against authorizing the war.
The protesters were arrested March 8 after they refused to leave Udall’s office.
The other protesters were ordered to pay $100 fines or perform community service. Prosecutors sought jail time for Bninski because of her previous arrests for civil disobedience.
Udall issued a statement Friday saying that Bninski and others have a right to peacefully protest, but their occupation “had the effect of interfering with the daily duties of my staff” and drew complaints from other building tenants.
“I hope that the court, in reaching a decision today, will take into account that Ms. Bninski did not cause any physical harm to my staff or damage any property while occupying my office,” Udall said.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
