Thread by @RealSpikeCohen

The @RageAgainstWar_ rally will have some amazing speakers like @RonPaul and @TulsiGabbard.

It also has a speaker who:

- Is not anti-war
- Is a convicted sex offender against minors

I cannot support an anti-war rally that has someone like this in it.

Scott Ritter has been one of the most outspoken and well-known opponents of the US invasion in Iraq, and of US imperialist war policy.

He was also arrested in multiple sex offender stings, and was convicted in 2011 on multiple charges related to minors.

reuters.com/article/us-sex…

Many of his supporters claim that he was set up, but Scott himself doesn't dispute that he did it.

He says he believed he was talking to an 18 year old who was acting out the fantasy of being a 15 year old.

No such thing was said by the undercover agent he was interacting with.

In recent days, Scott has stated that he is not anti-war, and never was.

If nothing else, an anti-war rally shouldn't feature pro-war speakers.

I spoke at the Hands Off Julian Assange rally in DC last year, and Scott was also one of the speakers.

Had I known at the time about these convictions, I would have asked the organizers to choose whether they wanted me or him to attend.

Scott is someone I admired as a hero of the anti-war movement.

Knowing what I know now, I cannot support him, or any event he's a part of.

I hope he will step down for the good of this movement.

If he does not, he should be removed.

Some may object to Scott's conviction, because he was communicating with an adult sting agent, and not a minor.

Whatever you think about these types of convictions, what is relevant here is that Scott thought it was a minor.

There should be no room for that in this movement.

To be clear, I am not condemning the rally, or calling for others not to attend it.

I am calling for Scott Ritter not to attend, for the good of the rally, and of the anti-war movement.