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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Starhawks account of the FTAA Protests |
Current rating: 0 |
by Starhawk/M. Macha NightMare, reposted by Jaso
Email: jpitzl (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!)
Address: Champaign |
25 Apr 2001
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Pagan activist Starhawks personal account of the FTAA protests. |
We’re all here, we’re all okay, none of the Pagan Cluster got arrested yesterday, and we had some truly amazing and powerful experiences. But today is another day, so please send us energy and protection. Watchword of the day:
\"We need more gas masks!\"
Soon to become the new fashion in ritual wear!
First, Thursday-The Women’s Action was peaceful and beautiful. We gathered at the women’s space and processed behind a fifteen foot tall Goddess puppet on wheels, called Nemesis, who was built by some of the Quebecois women. There were women from the Maquiladoras in Mexico with us, and the founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina. We had a joyful march, with people waving at us from their windows. At the perimeter, the police hung back and we were all able to approach the fence, hang the amazing weavings that women had brought, and weave yarn into the fence. I met Maria Eva, one of the women who were part of the training I did in Argentina, and we hung the banner she had brought from the Primavera de Praga group, and wove through it the ribbons from our group of women in Cazadero. People were drumming and dancing, but at a certain moment Sappho, one of the Quebecois Witches, got them all into a circle and we began a spiral dance. The women of the Garden Affinity Group brought in their wonderful web and did their weaving ritual in the midst of the spiral, and we raised an amazing cone of power that just rang through the streets of the city. As we grounded, I looked over and saw Nora Cortines from the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, grounding with us. She sat up and spoke of the 30,000 activists who had been killed by their dictatorship, and we felt them enter the circle.
Then some of us went out and joined the CLAC march for a bit-also a powerful, angry and beautiful energy. Then out to Lavalle to meet with the Pagan Cluster.
On Friday, Lisa and I got up real early to do final Street Tactics trainings at Lavalle, and to meet again with the Pagan Cluster. The big CLAC march was scheduled to start from Lavalle and march 2 or 3 miles into the city. We had decided to start at the park by the big theater, across from the access point where we’d woven the webs and which is closest to the Conference Center. Our plan was just to flow, stopping for ritual and to read the Cochabamba Declaration, and to divide at a certain point at which people willing to take more risk might go one way, and others stay safe.
The short report:
As we were processing on the safe street, we heard that the CLAC march had arrived and had taken down the fence! Willow and I literally jumped for joy! We began to regroup to head up there, getting reports of tear gas and battle above. We slowly worked our way up to the edge of the fighting. People were streaming down the street to get away from the tear gas. At a certain point, we stopped and made a circle and began singing, \"\"Hold on, hold on, h old the vision, that’s being born.\" Willow and I looked at each other, and we knew we had to head up the street. We started to process up, singing, just holding a grounding energy, and made our way up to the top of Rene Levesque where a pitched battle was going on in front of the theater. We walked in, were cheered by much of the Black Bloc who really appreciated that we came up to support them, and we again formed a circle and began a spiral. It was a marvelous, magical, life changing moment-to keep chanting and dancing joyfully with tear gas canisters flying all around us, and providing an energetic center. But finally the tear gas got a little too close, we all got hit and had to leave, but were able to leave calmly, stay together, help each other and other people who were hit. Then we regrouped down below, and went to another blockade at Richelieu. It was peaceful but a bit disconnected when we got there, but again people cheered the River and we formed a circle and again did a spiral, with a wide view beyond the city just as the sun was setting. But the whole area was full of very toxic-feeling gas residue, riot cops were coming down the street and massing on out other exit routes, so at that point we beat a strategic retreat, and decided we had done enough for the day.
All night long there were clouds of tear gas over the city-so heavy we couldn’t open our doors or window.
Keep that good energy coming-it really helps! I think we’re all feeling both braver, angrier, more joyful and rageful today. There is a war going on-it’s beig waged inside the Conference Center against the poor and against the environment. We’re making that war visible on the street, and holding an energy in the midst of it of peace and vision of a different world. Thanks for all your support, Love and protection to all our friends at the borders today, and doing actions in Brazil and everywhere.
Starhawk
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See also:
http://www.witchvox.net/xwrensnest.html
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