Vietnam War veterans and their allies were arrested Monday night at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in New York City during an event organized by Veterans for Peace marking the 12th anniversary of the occupation of Afghanistan. The veterans read the names of civilians and soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam, as well as in the Obama administration’s ongoing drone wars in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. They were arrested after refusing to leave. Shortly before the arrests, veteran Mike Hastie addressed police.

Mike Hastie: “It’s just important that you know why we’re here. This monument belongs to us. This is a Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Twenty-two veterans commit suicide every single day. It’s important that you know that your government committed immense atrocities during the Vietnam War. We did it every day. It’s just important you know that, because some of you are so much younger, and that history has been denied you.”