Faith and Resistance Actions
By Art Laffin
January 2005
Volume 41, Number 1
One Thousand Coffins on Gandhi's Birthday
On October 2, 2004, 500 people held a memorial procession from Arlington
National Cemetery to the White House to call for an end to the illegal
U.S. occupation of Iraq. One thousand coffins symbolizing Iraqi and
U.S. war dead were placed on the Ellipse. Members of Military Families
Speak Out and Iraq Veterans Against The War participated in rallies
sponsored by Iraq Pledge of Resistance at the Cemetery and Ellipse.
Twenty-eight people were arrested for trying to deliver the names
of those killed in Iraq to Mr. Bush, including Military Family members
and Michael Berg, whose son Nicholas was beheaded in Iraq. They were
charged with "violation of public use permits," and will
appear in court on December 15th.
August 5-9 Retreat
From August 5-9, the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and Jonah House
hosted an annual Faith and Resistance Retreat in D.C. to commemorate
the 59th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
* Bush speech interrupted -
On August 6, 25 people held a nonviolent protest outside the Washington
Convention Center to protest Mr. Bush who spoke to the Unity Journalist
Conference. One of the protesters, Scott Langley, was able to get
inside. "Shame on you Mr. Bush for lying and misleading the public
about going to war against Iraq," Langley declared. Mr. Bush
momentarily stopped his speech while some members of the media told
Langley to be quiet and others offered support. Langley was eventually
escorted out of the hall by Secret Service, questioned and released.
* Two people arrested at Enola Gay exhibit -
On August 7, over twenty people went to the Udvar-Hazy Museum near
Dulles Airport to decry the Enola Gay warplane which is exhibited
there. Banners were dropped from a walkway above the plane as an appeal
was made that the U.S. repent for its nuclear sin and abolish all
weapons of mass destruction. About a dozen people staged a die-in
with ashes directly in front of the plane. Brian Buckley was immediately
arrested for pouring ashes. Matthew Ochaliek, who was part of the
die-in, was also arbitrarily arrested. The rest of the group was escorted
by museum security out a back exit and detained for about 30 minutes
before being released. Buckley was held in Fairfax Jail over the weekend
and released on $2,000 bail. Ochaliek was released on $1,000 bail
late on Aug. 7. On September 28, they were tried in Fairfax County
Court. Ochaliek pled no contest to disorderly conduct and received
a suspended sentence. Buckley pled not guilty and was tried. He was
acquitted of intent to damage government property and obstruction
of justice, but was convicted of disorderly conduct and given a 90
day suspended jail sentence and a $500 fine, $400 suspended. He intends
to appeal.
* Arrests at White House -
On August 8, the Faith and Resistance group held another protest
on the south side of the White House. Some of the group held banners
across the heavily fenced street, including one 20 foot long banner
raised by weather balloons which said "End All War." Five
others stood with banners in the restricted area on the White House
sidewalk. When they refused to leave two Park Police on horseback
cleared all tourists from the sidewalk in a very dangerous manner.
The five were eventually arrested and later released from the Anacostia
Park Police station. They have a court date for November 17.
* Arrests at Pentagon -
On August 9, a final protest was held at the Pentagon. Five people
were arrested for holding banners on the Pedestrian Bridge walkway
on the south side of the Pentagon. Meanwhile other members of the
group held a vigil outside the Pentagon metro entrance. Those arrested
were charged with admission to property and have a November 19 court
date.
The AFA Arms Bazaar
From September 13-15, the Air Force Association (AFA) held its annual
convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition - "Arms Bazaar"
- at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at Connecticut Avenue and Woodley
Road NW, near the zoo. One hundred top military contractors peddled
their newest weaponry and technology to Pentagon officials and agents
from other nations. These weapons are used to terrorize and kill people
in such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Palestine, Haiti and
throughout Africa. These weapons fuel over 30 wars raging around the
world today. Top military officials and arms makers, who reap huge
profits from weapons contracts, gathered to discuss how the U.S. can
maintain global military dominance and control space.
A nonviolent witness and candlelight vigil was held on September
14 during the AFA $200+ a plate banquet, to memorialize all victims
of poverty and war. Dozens of people were present to call for an end
to all war and terrorism. A flier was distributed which read, in part:
"To ensure control of nearly half the world's resources, the
U.S. practices terrorism by acts of military intervention, supplying
weapons, military training, and aid to corrupt regimes, and by having
a preemptive war policy. It is time for the U.S., the world's leading
nuclear superpower and arms dealer, to stop dominating other nations,
disarm and develop a foreign policy based on nonviolence and the universal
declaration of human rights. In the name of God, who calls us not
to kill and to beat all weapons into plowshares, in the name of the
countless victims killed by weapons displayed at the Marriott, and
in the name of the poor and the children, we demand an end to this
scandalous AFA Arms Bazaar."
Feast of the Innocents
The Atlantic Life Community, a close-knit group of resisters from
Maine to Florida, came together the last week of December, as they
have done for more than 27 years, to remember and reflect on the Massacre
of the Holy Innocents, a Christian commemoration of the children killed
by Herod afte r the birth of Jesus.
* Arrests at Pentagon -
On December 28th, about 75 people gathered outside the metro entrance
to the Pentagon to protest the continuing slaughter of innocents in
Iraq. While 17 activists blocked the entrance, a banner appeared over
the side of the Pentagon roof: "BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW."
Those blocking the doors were arrested and have court dates of April
1st and 14th, 2005.
* Arrests at White House -
The next day, close to 100 people filed across Lafayette Park past
the newly- constructed inaugural viewing stands and formed a semi-circle
in front of the dignitaries' entrance to the White House. Susan Crane
and Gary Ashbeck of Jonah House community in Baltimore followed a
man through the pedestrian entrance and into the White House. The
two were arrested, held overnight and charged with "unlawful
entry."
Melinda Smael of Washington, DC wrote the names of several Iraqi civilians
and two American military killed in Iraq on the black entrance gate
with chalk. She, too, was arrested by angry White House security and
held overnight. She was charged with "defacing government property."
All three have a status hearing on January 31st.
Eight people holding a banner in front of the entrance were also arrested
for refusing to move.
At both sites, passers-by, including Pentagon soldiers, thanked
the protesters for being there.
Please join us in 2005!
For more information, contact:
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
503 Rock Creek Church Road
Washington, DC 20010
202-882-9649