Today At Noon In Times Square: Stand In Solidarity For Choi & Pietrangelo

Via Queer Rising:

In an act of civil disobedience, Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo and Robin McGehee have been arrested at the White House gates on Thursday while protesting the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. We are in solidarity with Choi, Pietrangelo, Robin McGehee and all other protesters nationwide. Join us as we protest the Army Recruitment center in Time Square for not allowing LGBTQI citizens the right to join the military.

The protest starts at noon and is slated to run until 2pm. If you're near midtown, try and swing by on your lunch hour. At this writing, Choi and Pietrangelo are still in custody. And something fishy appears to be going on. Via AmericaBlog:

We have more information. This is increasingly disturbing. It increasingly looks as though someone has decided to play hardball with Dan and James. The Park Police say that Dan is not being released on bail. Dan also has not made his phone call to the person designed to pay his bail - the person's phone number is written on Dan's arm, so there's no chance he doesn't have it. That means that Dan apparently is not being permitted a phone call, and thus not being permitted to have anyone pay his bail. Why not? We have just learned that Dan is in fact being charged with "failure to obey a lawful order," yet that charge usually means you get processed, you pay bail, and you leave. Then why are they not letting Dan Choi leave, but instead are holding him to be arraigned? Why are they apparently not permitting Dan his phone call?

(Photo via Pam's House Blend)