We have begun...
Last night, after participating in the awesome 24-hour vigil that culminated in a huge downpour minutes after the microphones were turned off, the pictures taken, and women lined up to do civil disobedience, the Mother’s Day MONTH women met at Hillary’s house.
We met each other, discussed our goals for the next few days, and practiced the Mother’s Day Proclamation action we’re doing today at Congress.
For those women who couldn’t make it last nite, we met again this a.m. at 7:00!
We have decided to begin our daily MDM actions with a hot pink promenade from Hillary’s house to the Capitol Buildings. This morning we are planning on marching all the way around the Capitol Building.
Taking off from the house, decked in our hottest pink, armed with anti-war signs (liberated from the AFSC event that ended yesterday) & lovely pink brooms, banners, and umbrellas, we spread out single file & march down Pennsylvania Ave, feeling quite herstoric – being on this Ave in this way at this time. Neighbors step out their homes, their jobs, the many little stores that still line the street, and greet us with enthusiasm & hopefulness. Some join in for a few steps; some sign up to join in later.
Suddenly uniformed buff men – in green shorts & t-shirts, shaved heads – jog by us. We call after them: “we don’t want you to kill anyone for us” and “resist, reconnect with your humanity” and “it’s not too late – call the gi rights hotline”. These are marines or army probably training to go to Iraq. We feel we’re in the right place at the right time – a great way to begin the march!
We continue down Pennsylvania Ave and connect up with more women at the empty reflecting pool on the capitol grounds. The grounds are huge – the capitol building is where congress meets; then there are 4 large buildings on one side that house representatives’ offices; on the opposite side are several buildings that house senators’ offices.
The steps of the Capitol (all 4 sides) are mostly inaccessible to us – we are horrified by the scant access we u.s. citizens have. A lot of the inaccessibility is caused by construction that is going on. Today even more of the Capitol is blocked off by police barricades.
We ask the multitude of officers what is going on? A codepink member who left early to catch a plane, tells us later she was scared shitless & almost turned back to join us when she saw all the motorcycle cops racing down the street toward the Capitol. Her first thought was what the hell had we done to attract so many police!
We couldn't take credit for this one.Today is the day police officers from around the country have come to D.C. to commemorate officers killed in the line of duty. We found out that around 50 officers have died this year – about half of them killed in traffic accidents on the way to the scene – and Bush might be speaking at the service! We try to be respectful and at the same time to get our message across – NO MORE KILLING, NO MORE DEATHS!
We marched mostly silently past them. Some of them smile & flash the peace sign. Most seem grim & disapproving (thank goodness we don't need their approval). One says to me "You should have picked another time to protest." I said to him "I am sorry for your loss" then add: "the time is ALWAYS right to do what is right" MLK. And then I say "war & death, killing, is very inconvenient - more for Iraqis than us.
By the time we have marched around the entire capitol building, someone calls for a lunch break. I have gone along with the crowd - it is very hard to get 20-some women to agree to do anything, but we're doing it!
We met each other, discussed our goals for the next few days, and practiced the Mother’s Day Proclamation action we’re doing today at Congress.
For those women who couldn’t make it last nite, we met again this a.m. at 7:00!
We have decided to begin our daily MDM actions with a hot pink promenade from Hillary’s house to the Capitol Buildings. This morning we are planning on marching all the way around the Capitol Building.
Taking off from the house, decked in our hottest pink, armed with anti-war signs (liberated from the AFSC event that ended yesterday) & lovely pink brooms, banners, and umbrellas, we spread out single file & march down Pennsylvania Ave, feeling quite herstoric – being on this Ave in this way at this time. Neighbors step out their homes, their jobs, the many little stores that still line the street, and greet us with enthusiasm & hopefulness. Some join in for a few steps; some sign up to join in later.
Suddenly uniformed buff men – in green shorts & t-shirts, shaved heads – jog by us. We call after them: “we don’t want you to kill anyone for us” and “resist, reconnect with your humanity” and “it’s not too late – call the gi rights hotline”. These are marines or army probably training to go to Iraq. We feel we’re in the right place at the right time – a great way to begin the march!
We continue down Pennsylvania Ave and connect up with more women at the empty reflecting pool on the capitol grounds. The grounds are huge – the capitol building is where congress meets; then there are 4 large buildings on one side that house representatives’ offices; on the opposite side are several buildings that house senators’ offices.
The steps of the Capitol (all 4 sides) are mostly inaccessible to us – we are horrified by the scant access we u.s. citizens have. A lot of the inaccessibility is caused by construction that is going on. Today even more of the Capitol is blocked off by police barricades.
We ask the multitude of officers what is going on? A codepink member who left early to catch a plane, tells us later she was scared shitless & almost turned back to join us when she saw all the motorcycle cops racing down the street toward the Capitol. Her first thought was what the hell had we done to attract so many police!
We couldn't take credit for this one.Today is the day police officers from around the country have come to D.C. to commemorate officers killed in the line of duty. We found out that around 50 officers have died this year – about half of them killed in traffic accidents on the way to the scene – and Bush might be speaking at the service! We try to be respectful and at the same time to get our message across – NO MORE KILLING, NO MORE DEATHS!
We marched mostly silently past them. Some of them smile & flash the peace sign. Most seem grim & disapproving (thank goodness we don't need their approval). One says to me "You should have picked another time to protest." I said to him "I am sorry for your loss" then add: "the time is ALWAYS right to do what is right" MLK. And then I say "war & death, killing, is very inconvenient - more for Iraqis than us.
By the time we have marched around the entire capitol building, someone calls for a lunch break. I have gone along with the crowd - it is very hard to get 20-some women to agree to do anything, but we're doing it!
posted by Xan @ 1:18 PM
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