Faith and Resistance Retreat/ Aug. 5-9th, 2004

    It was a smaller group than many retreats but there is truth to the statement that small is beautiful. We went with the theme - war and destruction are never okay.
    We began Thursday evening with a reflection by Kathy Boylan on the evil of the bombings and then planned for a witness Friday at the D.C. Convention Center. Journalists of Color – 7500 strong – were holding their convention; George Bush had agreed to come and speak to them on Friday morning. We arrived at the Convention Center before 7:00 a.m. with banners, including a large banner held visible and aloft by two weather balloons. We leafleted journalists as they came in to the Convention Center asking them to question Bush. Other groups – “Run Against Bush,” a theatre group, and disenfranchised Black farmers – joined in the protest. It was spirited and varied. Bush’s motorcade arrived passing between our banners (some would not move to the approved area right in front of the entrance to the Center). All chanted “Shame!” and “Lies!” as the motorcade passed. The president waved!
    Meanwhile, Scott Langley, equipped with a press pass, entered the ballroom and prepared to confront Bush. When the president began talking about compassion Scott called out: “Mr. Bush, Mr. Bush. How can you talk about compassion? It is not compassion to bomb people! It is not compassion to lie to the press and to the American people!” Turning to journalists around him, Scott said: “He is lying!” He was surrounded by Secret Service who walking Scott out of the ballroom and questioned him at length. Then he returned to the assembled community outside and was with us to chant “Shame!” and “Lies!” as the motorcade left the Convention Center. We were there from about 7:00 to 11:30 a.m.
    That afternoon we watched the Hiroshima-Nagasaki video (a good thing to do every year – lest we forget) and began planning for a presence at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum where the Enola Gay is enshrined with not even a hint of the destruction wrought by that plane. In the evening, Stephen Kobasa spoke to us about Hiroshima – Then and Now. It was such a moving presentation that we requested a copy to put on the Jonah House web site – we believe that soon you will be able to access it there. Already many of the photos from the retreat are posted on the web site.
    Saturday a.m. we talked about the RNC and agreed to constitute an ALC affinity group to participate with the WRL action on August 31st and the marches of the poor and disenfranchised on August 30th. A special e-mail has been sent on those proposals. If you want more information, let us know.
    Then we drove to the new air and space museum and tried to be subtle as we assembled near the plane and awaited the signal to act. When it came, three banners were hung above the plane from the cat walk. They read: “The Enola Gay – A Weapon of Mass Destruction!” “Weapons of Mass Destruction – Nothing to Celebrate!” and “We Must Face the Shame of Our Horrific History!” In front of the plane, on the mail level, activists unfurled a banner that read: “Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Never Again.” They also read a statement and the leaflet prepared by Stephen Kobasa: “More Lies From A Machine: Revisiting the Enola Gay!” (A copy of this statement is also on the Jonah House web site.) Brian Buckley poured ashes as other participants enacted a die-in in front of the plane. The ashes were beyond symbolic; they seemed to multiply and go everywhere – on the “dead” and the ground all around the plane. Brian then died himself and he and Matt Ochalek were quickly cuffed by security. Others spoke out and sang to the throngs of tourists who huddled to watch what was happening. (The Museum attracts thousands of people; on this day both the parking lot and the museum were full!)
    After banners were ripped from the hands of those that held them above, they joined the group below and we prepared to join hands and leave the museum singing. The security force had other ideas; they led us out a back way into a secure area while they determined what to do with us. After about a half hour, they took Brian and Matt into custody and marched the rest of us through the museum and to our vehicles. Meanwhile, the whole museum had been closed and remained closed for 90 minutes. Bail of $1,000 and $2,000 were placed on the two men; they face several misdemeanor charges and have a trial scheduled for September 28 in Fairfax County Court.
    On Sunday we went to the White House – this time to the south side of that mansion as Pennsylvania Ave is completely inaccessible. It proved to be a good venue. Five of us stood with banners in the new picture post card zone and the rest of the group assembled, facing the five, at the north end of the ellipse. There was good visual contact and adequate vocal contact as well as powerful and colorful visuals and words. We made it clear to the police that we would not leave. After some time, park police brought in two of their mounted force who cleared the White House side walk with the horses in a move that was dangerous and terrifying. Angered by this treatment, and amazed that people would be arrested for simply holding signs in front of the White House, some tourists joined the demonstration across the way. Susan Crane, Tom Feagley, Scott Langley, Liz McAlister and Sheila Stumph were arrested after almost an hour on the sidewalk. They were released on citation later in the afternoon with a court date of November 17.
    Monday morning we split our group. Matt had been released on bail Saturday evening but Brian was due in court at 8:30 a.m. for arraignment/bail hearing (which was neither). Supporters bailed him out later in the a.m. The rest of us went to the Pentagon for a Nagasaki day witness. Five of us mounted one of the pedestrian walkways on the south side of the building and lowered our banners. Arrests came quickly to Susan Crane, Tom Feagley, Art Laffin, Liz McAlister and Colleen McCarthy. They were processed and released somewhat later with court dates of November 5 and 19. The rest of the community continued the presence on both the south side and the Metro entrance.
    Community building through the retreat was strong; the spirit of nonviolence was deepened; resistance was powerful. We wish more people could have been with us but we understand the myriad commitments that people have in these important days. Let’s continue to support and inspire one another.