One of the "secular saints" inside, Daniel Ellsberg, proudly introduced his 25 year old son, Michael, on this occasion of his first arrest. He told a story of 25 years ago, when baby Michael was only 3 months old. Back then, his father first presented him to some of the same people in this very cell, saying: "I want you to introduce you to your future co-conspirators." After all that time, they were meeting again.
Of course, the day's action was not the first step in a movement that is rapidly gaining momentum, but it was among the first broad and active religious responses. The protesters followed the lead of 2000 New York City students, from middle-school to high school and college age, who walked out of school last week to march against the war. And it anticipates this Saturday's Uptown March for Peace and Justice, to be led by youth of color from Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Bronx.
Prior to today's civil disobedience, Rev. James Lawson, who was responsible for much of the training in nonviolent resistance during the Civil Rights Movement, addressed the participants. He admonished that the severity of the impending war in Iraq will demand much more than symbolic protest. It will require Americans, especially people of faith, to render the war plans of this administration literally unmanageable ... blocking traffic in the streets, standing in front of government agency doorways, sitting on the floors of congressional offices, and choosing the rite of passage into the nation's jails.
Of course, the day's action was not the first step in a movement that is rapidly gaining momentum, but it was among the first broad and active religious responses. The protesters followed the lead of 2000 New York City students, from middle-school to high school and college age, who walked out of school last week to march against the war. And it anticipates this Saturday's Uptown March for Peace and Justice, to be led by youth of color from Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Bronx.
Prior to today's civil disobedience, Rev. James Lawson, who was responsible for much of the training in nonviolent resistance during the Civil Rights Movement, addressed the participants. He admonished that the severity of the impending war in Iraq will demand much more than symbolic protest. It will require Americans, especially people of faith, to render the war plans of this administration literally unmanageable ... blocking traffic in the streets, standing in front of government agency doorways, sitting on the floors of congressional offices, and choosing the rite of passage into the nation's jails.