Veterans March for Peace
The Veterans March for Peace, on March 19th in Washington DC, (organized by Veterans for Peace) was significant for a number of reasons. Coming on the heels of Winter Soldier it continued the opposition of Veterans from all eras to the US policy of illegal wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the abuses both to American soldiers and Iraqi and Afghan civilians resultant from those occupations. The Veterans, consistent with our oath to uphold and protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, carried detailed Citizen's Warrants for the Arrest of George Bush and Richard Cheney for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We formed up at the National Mall and marched out, some 200 strong in columns of three with seven Iraq Veterans Against the War in the lead. Our first stop on the march was the National Museum of the American Indian where we met with and honored Native American singer, artist and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie for her long commitment to peace and to preserving and protecting Native American culture and tradition. It was also the Veterans way of affirming our respect and solidarity with the 400 year American Indian struggle against the same oppressive forces, we as activist Veterans continue to resist today. We felt that on this day of civil resistance to an oppressive and corrupt system, affirming our solidarity with the "first people", recognizing and honoring their ongoing struggle, would be auspicious and meaningful for all concerned.
We arrived at the Park across from the museum at 10:15 as planned but the sound system necessary so that Buffy could plug in her guitar and sing had not yet made it's way. Buffy, ever gracious and real, waited with the Vets patiently until the sound system finally arrived and then not sang her famous Universal Soldier which became an anthem for the Peace Movement in the sixties. She also recited a powerful and poignant poem she had written - The War Racket (see below). VFP National Board member Eli Painted Crow presented Buffy with a beautiful engraved plaque from Veterans for Peace which read in part:With deep appreciation and gratitude to Buffy Sainte-Marie for a lifetime of service and creativity in the cause of world peace, survival of the living earth, and to the preservation of the sacred traditions of the American Indian. Your life, music and art have inspired generations. Mitakuye Oyasin! - Veterans For Peace
Tarak Kauff introduced Buffy Sainte-Maries and her song and then spoke of what the Veterans for Peace will defend: The Constitution; America from it's leaders wars of aggression waged in our names; from the militarization of society; from our the erosion of our civil liberties and to defend the rights of returning veterans. Included was the call for the impeachment, trial and subsequent arrest of George Bush and Richard Cheney.
Ret. Col. Ann Wright spoke eloquently about the cost and consequences of the occupation in Iraq and the necessity of keeping up the activism to end it. She said we are taking our country back. Former Marine Sgt. Adam Kokesh of IVAW spoke and elaborated on the 3 IVAW objectives: Unconditional withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq, full benefits for all returning Veterans and reparations to the Iraqi people.
The Veterans then proceeded to the National Archives where the Constitution is housed. We had originally planned a civil resistance action inside the National Archives, in the Rotunda, where the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence are displayed. The plan was for a number of Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War to enter the Rotunda and to use plastic cuffs to secure ourselves to the massive gates at the entrance to the Rotunda. Our rationale in doing this would be that as fulfillment of the oath we took upon joining the military to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, we would now demand the arrest of those who had most grievously abused that document and all it stands for. Delivering the Warrant in the place of Constitutional housing, we would remain handcuffed to "guard" the Constitution until the aforesaid accused either surrendered themselves to us or to the appropriate authorities.
However, on Monday and Tuesday as we surveyed the huge lines wending around the block waiting to enter and realizing that we couldn't just cut the line and walk in, we changed our plan to an outside occupation with the same demand for a citizen's arrest. The outside plan turned out to be much better. Five veterans, Joel Kovel, Diane Wilson, Ellen Barfield, Malcolm Chaddock and Andrew Schoerky decided to handcuff themselves to the flagpole outside the Archives with a huge blowup of the Citizen's Arrest Warrant for Bush and Cheney. There was also a immense canvas replication of the Constitution that would be displayed. That morning as the Veterans gathered on the National Mall, Tarak from VFP, Adam Kokesh, Daniel Black and James Gillian from IVAW decided to climb over the 10 ft. spiked metal fence at the top of the front steps of the Archives and to occupy the 40 ft. high ledge on the front of the building with an upside down American flag (symbol of distress) and a megaphone so that they could speak to the crowd more effectively. Our assumption was that both the flagpole occupation and the Vets on the ledge would result in arrests but we felt that the Vets on the high ledge would have more time to speak to the crowd before the police would venture out to arrest them. (Thanks to VFP Pres. Elliot Adams for a leg up when we were climbing over the fence) As it turned out the Vets on the ledge were there for 90 minutes broadcasting before the Archive security ventured out to offer them safe passage if they would only leave the ledge peacefully. The police had opened the previously locked gate in the fence. After some discussion we decided to accept their offer. As we left the ledge to the cheers of the crowd below, a few of the police actually shook our hands. It seemed as if the police had made a decision not to arrest the Vets. Andrew, Ellen, Diane, Joel and Matthew decided to stay handcuffed to the flagpole, at least for a while, even though the march would move on.
The significance of this action, besides that we could more effectively broadcast our anti-war and arrest Bush and Cheney for War Crimes message, was that it was an affirmation of the people's inalienable right to protest on so called Government property. We affirmed by our action that Government property in reality belongs to the people and when the Government and their agents transgress the law, commit gross and heinous crimes against humanity, the people have the right and the responsibility to take back and occupy what is essentially ours.
Fifteen minutes or so after we came down from the ledge, the march moved on, proceeding to the Justice building where we made a brief stop, again demanding the arrest of Bush and Cheney and then to the White House where we again demanded the arrest and surrender of the resident war criminal. It was then on to McPhearson Park and then the rains came. Some of the Vets attempted to escort the Grannies into the VA to present their "stump socks" they had weaved but the VA was closed to the Grannies, except for bathroom visits. The flagpole five, Andrew, Ellen, Diane, Joel and Matthew by this time rejoined us at McPherson Park having been released from the flagpole by VFP Executive Director Michael Mcphearson and Cherie Eichholtz who had stayed with the five.
We had planned a street blockade with stretchers symbolizing both the Iraq and American wounded and with 3 caskets with the Iraq, Afghan and American flags draped around them to represent the dead but when we got to the park the stretchers and caskets had disappeared, many of the Vets had dispersed to get dry and warm and the street blockade never came off.
You can view the video of Buffy Sainte-Marie and the National Archives action at: http://blip.tv/file/776968/