SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The wife of the Rev. Jesse Jackson emerged from a federal detention center after finishing a 10-day jail sentence for trespassing, saying she hoped her sacrifice would help stop Navy bombing exercises on the island of Vieques.
Jacqueline Jackson said after her release Wednesday that her jailers mistreated her by attempting what she said was a humiliating strip search. But she said the residents of Vieques have put up with much worse during six decades of Navy training on the Puerto Rican island.
"I plan to do all that I can to make people aware of the kind of violence that is heaped on the people here," said Jackson, 57. "You have residents, people who are living on this island, who've said enough is enough."
Several activists greeted her by shouting, "Vieques Yes! Navy No!"
Although President Bush has ordered the Navy to withdraw from the island in 2003, protesters say the exercises must stop immediately. Opponents of the training say it harms the environment and islanders' health — charges the Navy denies.
In Washington on Wednesday, lawmakers criticized the decision to stop maneuvers on Vieques. Some suggested the Pentagon should rethink the plan.
"It's clear to me that a mistake has been made here," said Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican from North Carolina.
The Navy says Vieques' location and topography make it uniquely suited to simultaneous assaults by land, air and sea. Some members of Congress called the decision to leave Vieques as a setback for military training that could risk the lives of U.S. troops.
While Navy fighter jets continued to drop inert bombs on Vieques Wednesday, Jackson said she thinks the bombing violates the human rights of the island's 9,100 residents.
After her release, Jackson hugged her husband, with whom she helps lead the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition civil rights group.
Jackson, who was detained for trespassing on Navy land on June 18, said she and other protesters were "political prisoners." The treatment they received, she said, "is designed to break our spirit."
Jackson was jailed after refusing to post $3,000 bail. She said she also refused to bend over to be visually examined during a strip search, calling it "demeaning."
Bureau of Prisons officials say such searches are compulsory after inmates receive visitors.
Sixty-five people have been detained for trespassing since June 18 in the latest Navy exercises.
The Jacksons said they planned to leave the U.S. territory and return to Chicago on Friday.