Agustin Aguayo finally home from brig!

Iraq veteran and war resister steps off of plane, begins speaking tour

SACRAMENTO, CA (May 10, 2007)—Army Spc. Agustin Aguayo stepped off of a plane today at Sacramento International Airport after being imprisoned by the U.S. Army and held in Germany for nine months. Agustin was convicted of missing movement and desertion for refusing to redeploy to Iraq last year and publicly speaking out against the war.

Agustin’s wife Helga and Courage to Resist supporters met him at the airport, give him a couple hours to relax from his 18-hour journey from Germany, and whisked him to his first speaking event in California’s capitol. From here, Agustin is beginning a multi-city tour covering much of Northern California. In the upcoming days, Agustin will be joined by fellow Iraq War resisters Army Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía, Navy Petty Officer Pablo Paredes, and Marine L/Cpl Robert Zabala.

Camilo Mejía was one of the first Iraq combat veterans to refuse to return to Iraq and served almost nine months in prison for his stand. In his new book "Road from ar Ramadi; The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía," Camilo gives an inside view of what it felt like to be a soldier on the ground in Iraq.

Friday May 11 - Stockton
6pm at the Centro Comunitario Mexicano featuring Agustín Aguayo. Event in Spanish with English translation.

Saturday May 12 - Carmel
7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church featuring Agustín Aguayo and Camilo Mejía.

Sunday May 13 - San Francisco
9:30 am Press Conference at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.
3pm and 5pm Special screening of “The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez” at the Victoria Theatre featuring Agustín Aguayo and Camilo Mejía.
7pm at the Veterans War Memorial Bldg. featuring Agustín Aguayo, Camilo Mejía and Pablo Paredes.

Monday May 14 - Watsonville
7pm at the United Presbyterian Church featuring Agustín Aguayo, Camilo Mejía, Pablo Paredes and Robert Zabala.

Tuesday May 15 - Palo Alto
7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church featuring Camilo Mejía.

Wednesday May 16 - Eureka
7pm at the Eureka Labor Temple featuring Camilo Mejía.

Thursday May 17 - Oakland
7pm at the Humanist Hall featuring Camilo Mejía, Pablo Paredes and the Alternatives to War through Education (A.W.E.) Youth Action Team. 

Friday May 18 - Berkeley
7pm at St. Joseph the Worker featuring Camilo Mejía.

For complete event details, including locations, contact information:
www.couragetoresist.org/events