About 100 arrested at protest outside Manhattan investment house
From CNN Producer Rose Arce
NEW YORK (CNN) -- About 100 people were arrested Monday after protesters blocked the entrance to the Carlyle Group, a private investment house with holdings in the defense industry, police at the scene said.
A demonstration took place outside of the company's New York office, because they said it had a vested interest in the war with Iraq, and strong ties to the Bush administration.
"Everybody must act now to stop what is going on in Iraq for war profit, people like the Carlyle Group have an interest in fighting this war and influence in the administration," said protester Eric Larsen.
"Carlyle is proud of the companies we own including those that make products that defend America," Carlyle spokesman Chris Ullman said.
In response to the information the protesters were distributing Ullman said, "It would be nice if [the demonstrators] commitment to the truth about Carlyle was as great as their commitment to ending the war."
The demonstration began at about 8:30 a.m. EDT, and lasted for about a half-hour.
The Carlyle Group is a private global investment firm with more than $15.8 billion under management. Five percent of its investments are in defense.
The firm lists several prominent members of former President George H. Bush's administration as senior advisors, including former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci, and Richard Darmon, former director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Former British Prime Minister John Major is listed as the group's European Chairman.
Former President George Bush is currently the senior adviser to Carlyle's Asia Advisory Board which means that, according to Ullman, he gives speeches at occasional Carlyle events but "conducts no business activities at all on behalf of Carlyle."
The protests, which were the latest in a series of acts of civil disobedience that began the day after the war started, have resulted in thousands of arrests.
