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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Report Back From A20 Protests in DC |
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by Meridith Kruse
Email: bmmk (nospam) soltec.net (unverified!) |
24 Apr 2002
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This is going to be stream of consciousness since things have been hectic upon my return, but I wanted to share this information to fill the void by mainstream media. For those who could not attend but seek information here is one window into the DC protests… |
Several members of the Champaign-Urbana community attended the A20 events in Washington DC last weekend including six students from the SOA Watch subgroup of UIUC Amnesty International, three members of the St. Jude’s Catholic Worker House, and four others. We all left and returned from DC at differing times, I was in DC Friday April 19th through Monday April 22nd.
Friday April 19th– Frustration with Lobbying, Fascination with Pacifica Network News
On Friday a small group of us lobbied our representatives, or at least their aides, about US policy in Colombia and the School of the Americas. For me, this was a completely frustrating process. SOA Watch had a vigil and informational table set up in Upper Senate Park so those going into the Senate and House offices around the capitol could report back about their experiences. Jolie Rickman performed at the vigil, Hector Modragon, a Colombian who was tortured by paramilitary forces, and a man from El Salvador also spoke at this vigil. At 2:00pm our group spoke with an aide for Peter Fitzgerald. This aide knew absolutely nothing about foreign policy, but took brief notes on our concerns. He also said he was unable to speak on Fitzgerald’s policy stances. It felt like we were educating the aide – he had not heard of Oscar Romero and looked surprised when told about the School of the Americas activities. From this session I learned to ask more questions of the aides- put them on the spot – and to make demands. Specifically, at the end of the session we demanded that Fitzgerald write us, explaining his position on Colombia and a range of other issues.
Next we visited Rachael Lahmen, foreign policy aide for Tim Johnson. A smiling portrait of George Bush greeted us as we arrived in the office. Rachel explained that Johnson supports Ariel Fumigation in Colombia, and has evidence from the Cato Institute that Free Trade policies are benefiting those living in Illinois and Mexico. I mentioned the White House report indicating that coca cultivation has INCREASED after over ten year of fumigation. Clearly fighting a supply side drug war by dropping poison on people, plants, and animals in the fragile Amazon ecosystem wasn’t working- right? She didn’t agree. She said Johnson had information from the Defense Department and Department of Agriculture indicating that Glyphosate Ready Round-Up was safe. What’s Monsanto’s influence in Washington? I also brought up the hypocrisy of George Bush promoting Free Trade and then putting tariffs on Steel Imports. She said Johnson had not agreed with this decision. I also expressed concern about Chapter 11 of NAFTA, and Jessica Popovak argued for more transparency when deciding Trade Agreements. Rachel said she has just learned about Chapter 11, and was concerned, but if it was an consolation to me, Chapter 11 has rarely been used. I told her this was not a consolation.
So, we left our representatives offices – other in our group met with Sue Hardesty from Durbin’s office at 4:00pm and will give a report back soon. I did my duty. I sat in very nice offices and talked to aides who seemed to feign concern over the issues I raised. I wondered where the snippets of words they had written down on their legal pads would go? I continue to believe in the power of letter-writing and lobbying visits- we have the ability to confront our representatives and must continue to do so if democracy has any chance of survival. However, I left the offices telling each one of them I was also going to participate in acts of nonviolent direct action over the week as well. And my actions were meant to raise awareness about the issues I was speaking to them about today.
The last event of Friday was to attend a production meeting at the Pacifica Network News. Shevilla and I attended for Danielle, who had been asked to do roving reporting of the protests. I got to meet Verna Avery Brown and witness the bantering of reporters from across the country hash out a plan to provide live coverage of Saturday’s massive marches. There were to be four marches. The Pro-Palestinian/ANWER march, the IMF/World Bank protests, SOA/Colombia Mobilization, and a small Pro-Bush contingent. Each demonstration started a different location, had speakers, and ended up feeding into the mall between the Capitol and Washington Monument. We were assigned to cover the IMF/World Bank protests.
Saturday – 70,000 people take to the streets in an “Uneventful Event”?
Saturday was a blur, Danielle, with a broken leg, was reporting from a motorized cart – and although she was a reporter, she was also being interviewed by those impressed with her dedication. I spoke with protestors from India outraged about the effects of Enron’s power plant and an Economist set on creating alternatives to Free Trade. The tone of the march was festive, I did not witness any acts of police brutality on this day. I did witness over 70,000 people taking to the streets – it was incredible to see movements converge- anti-globalization protesters linking with anti-war and pro-Palestinian forces. The crowd was diverse, in race/ethnicity, gender, and age. This did not mean there were not tensions. For a while we were behind the Nation of Islam, which repeatedly called for the “Death of Israel and so-called Jews”. They carried a portrait of Bin Laden – elevating him as their hero. They also had signs equating a swastika to the Star of David, and equating Hilter to Ariel Sharon. Peaceful demonstrators around them, however, responded to their call for violence with calls for peace. Nation of Islam by no means represented the majority of protestors, despite an editorial in the Washington Times the next day saying it was a “Hatefest of Anti-Semitism on the Mall”. This simply undermined the most forceful messages of the march – calling to “Free Free Palestine”. I was angry, but not shocked, to see the headline of the Washington Times call Saturday’s protests an “Uneventful Event” and carry a photo of a protestor holding a “Hi Mom!” sign. We had reclaimed streets and stood with 70,000 people calling attention to the human rights atrocities occurring at that very moment in Jenin. I had fought to hold back tears at the photos carried by Palestinian women – showing decapitated, mutilated bodies in the refuges camps. These were not the signs that appeared on the front pages of the mainstream press the next day but their images remained burned in my mind.
Questions I asked myself after reading the media coverage of this day – how can we win? There are 70,000 people in the streets peacefully crying out an urgent message. Because there is no violence – it is de-legitimized in the press, called in “uneventful event” and the messages do not get out. If there had been violent altercation between protestors and the police the violence would have been the news – and again the messages would not have gotten out. There were many important messages – coming from a sense of deep anger, despair, and frustration. What are our tax dollars going to support? How can we stand by? Silence is betrayal – and although the media has been mostly silent, tens of thousands of people on Saturday April 20th were not.
Sunday – Festival of Hope and Resistance and Planning for Non-Violent Direct Actions
I was glad to be a part of the massive march on Saturday – but it also felt rewarding to reconnect with issues I have personally have been working on. On Sunday the Colombia Mobilization held a Festival of Hope and Resistance at the Sylvan Theater by the Washington monument. David Rovicks, Solstice, and other musicians performed. This day-long event persisted despite the cold rain. Speakers included Sanho Tree from the Institute for Policy Studies. He reminded us of the grave concern expressed by US leaders after September 11th of eco-terrorism – the horrifying thought of planes flying over homes in the US and dropping poison on them. This is what is happening with the fumigation planes in Colombia today and no one seems to care- why the discrepancy? Njoki Njoroge Njehu, Director of 50 Years is Enough Network, called for debt cancellation and powerfully linked the purpose of the Global Justice Movement with the Anti-War Movement. For global instability to be reduced – economic justice must be attained. Jan Schakowsky (9th/IL) was the only elected official to speak at the rally.
That night many of us met at the Church of the Brethren to coordinate our plans for non-violent direction action the next morning. Several members of the press had arrived- protestors were uneasy about their presence. We had a brief discussion, weighing the pros and cons of press attendance. Some expressed concern that the press would spread the identity of people in the room who wished to remain anonymous or slant the coverage of our intentions. Others wanted the press in the room, to show transparency and highlight our focus on non-violence to dispel rumors that SOA Watch promoted violent tactics. A compromised was reached when representatives from SOA Watch went into the hall to talk to the press – and the meeting continued after all law-enforcement officers who might be present were officially asked to leave.
SOA Watch had received a permit for a rally in Upper Senate Park – but had not received a permit for the march from 14th and Madison to this spot. Those of us attending were told of actions carrying different risk levels for arrest. Some affinity groups came prepared to block traffic and go to jail. Our affinity group decided to participate in the un-permitted march that carried a low-risk of arrest since we had not prepared bail money prior to our trip. Some in our group who could not risk arrest planned to walk alongside the action and then stay at the permitted site. SOA Watch was going to use a snake formation for the march, hoping to avoid any police barricades and successfully reach Upper Senate Park. An attorney was on hand to answer questions about arrests- we learned that you are not guaranteed a phone call from jail in DC – this may or may not be granted. And the most likely charge would be criminal trespass – a misdemeanor. However, you can never fully predict the outcomes of these actions. A jail solidarity team had been set up and we were given numbers to call in case we were arrested or wanted information about friends. As I wrote this number on my arm with permanent marker I wondered if I needed, would I even be allowed a call?
Our affinity group took the metro back to our hotel deep in thought. I was worried about those in our group with prior records that could not get arrested. I thought splitting our group into two might be problematic – but would still allow some of us to participate. I was also feeling very committed to taking part in the nonviolent direct action the next morning. Although the risk of arrest was low – I had to be prepared for arrest. If happened, I would accept appropriate consequences, a day in jail, fines, coming back to DC for a hearing and living several months with a charge on my record. Small sacrifices on my part to bring attention to the suffering of those murdered by graduates of the SOA or currently living in Colombia where the flames of violence are being fanned by increased military aid paid for by my tax dollars.
Monday Morning – Confonting Power and Control? Obtaining Justice?
We met at 14th and Madion near the Washington monument at 7am. We were several hundred protestors, some carrying signs and drums. We took a pledge of non-violence and began the march. We were surrounded to each side by many police – police on bicycles, horses, motorcycles, in cars and riot police on foot. There were the Capitol police, Metropolitan police, and Park police. As we marched they blocked several roadways, we changed directions, played music and continued chanting “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Plan Colombia’s Got To Go” – “SOA, Shut It Down”. The noise spooked the horses and caused them to rear up. Police on motorcycles drove through flower beds crushing shrubs and tulips to keep up with us. We passed Senate offices pointing and chanting “This is What Democracy Looks Like, That is What Hypocrisy Looks Like”. Some affinity groups broke off from the group and sat in streets blocking morning rush hour traffic. Others continued on, marching towards the permitted sight in upper senate park.
One block from this park, police blocked our passage. We could not get to the permit site. The group of us continued to grow, as people congregated waiting and thinking about what to do next. Senator John McCain came out on a balcony and then went back into the Durksen Building. Protestors continued to chant, play music, and wonder why the police were blocking our access to the permitted sight at this point – just one block away. Then the mood changed. I turned to see a protestor being shoved to the ground by a policy in riot gear – the tension rose. Suddenly the block we were on was surrounded by riot policy – standing arm to arm – we felt pinned in, trapped, were they going to allow us to leave this area? How did we get here? Suddenly this was a place of high-risk arrest and we had found ourselves in the middle of it. A line of police moved in on one side of the block – they had bundles of plastic hand-cuffs bulging from their pockets and I noticed several buses in the streets- empty but driven by police officers – ready to haul away large numbers of detained people. As an affinity group we were worried – we were ready for arrest- but had not wanted to engage in the high-risk actions. Technically we could be arrested- the march had not been permitted and we had walked off sidewalks at some points. The consensus among our group was to avoid arrest if possible, while accepting the consequences if appropriate. So, we began searching for ways to leave the restricted area we now found ourselves in. We tried to exit at several points and were not allowed out. Finally we found a break in the police line and the far end of the block and exited. We went to the permitted sight. The police continued to hold the crowd for about 25-30 minutes. Those inside the police line sang, chanted, played music, and spoke about the reasons they were risking arrest – they spoke about the people of Colombia and those killed or tortured by SOA graduates. Finally the police let the protests through to the permitted site. The tension subsided. Later we heard 18 people had been arrested for blocking traffic, 17 arrested in the restricted area.
Our affinity group was finally reunited – none of us had been arrested. We spoke about our feelings on the day. Personally, I was glad to take part in the actions – it was important to transform a piece of our nation’s capitol into a place where truth was brought to light- even if only for several hours. I was surprised with the level of police presence, and the quickness of their reactions. I wondered why the chose to prevent our passage- their actions only served to intensify the commitment of the protestors. I noticed the entire morning that most of the officers directly confronting the protestors were African-American. I felt frustrated at my inability to directly confront the powers controlling US policies and economic interests. I leave with many more questions – but committed to the power and importance of nonviolent direct action. I return to this community dedicated to continuing to work for peace with social justice. I look forward to producing a radio show with Danielle to be aired on May 13th. Stay tuned…
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