CW WAR PARADE REPORT from Raleigh NC
Frank Cordaro
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008
WAR PARADE REPORT
Outnumbered 500 to 1, a small band of jittery peace activists from
throughout the Triangle attempted to march in today's "Salute to Our
Troops" parade in downtown Raleigh. From the get go it was clear that
the bankers, the Pentagon, the news media, the police and thousands of
pro-war spectators were of one mind as they encountered our group
marching behind a banner stating "Don't Celebrate War."
Led by a group of Veterans for Peace (with their banner), the 20 or
so activists attempted to march in the parade seconds after four F-15E
Strike Eagles passed overhead to wild cheering from the crowd along
Fayetteville St. Police immediately interdicted the group while the
cameramen from WRAL TV averted their cameras so as to not report the
story. To my knowledge not one peace activist was interviewed by a
television station despite the fact that TV reporters often go out of
their way at our events to find naysayers.
The Raleigh Police were very rough, often shoving us and not stopping
people who kept taking our placards away and tearing them up. One cop
told me I had provoked the person who tore my "Jesus Said: Love Your
Enemies" sign in half. I also had my "Gods of Metal Won't Save Us"
sign ripped out of my hands in front of a cop. Many people took and
read Cy King's fine "WHY WE ARE HERE -- WHY WE MOURN" leaflet that
explained our presence.
"The parade today is more about showing off the weapons of war than
the tragedy of war," Cy wrote. "A more fitting tribute would be to
have a parade of those in wheelchairs and on crutches followed by a
demand that a sad but grateful nation provide the ongoing care that
these young people will need."
When a man covered my Love Your Enemy placard with his US Flag, the
Morgan St. crowd let out a roar of approval. It was clearly a
"You're-with-us-or-with-the-terrorists crowd today. Lots of "Love it
or Leave It" and "Go Back to Chapel Hill" comments; not much 1st
Amendment consideration.
Police monitored us closely, but Daniel Foster, a UNC-G student from
Fuquay-Varina walked onto Morgan St. and laid down in front of a very
large armored vehicle, bringing the parade to a stop. Daniel was
arrested for disorderly conduct. Peace folks scraped together his
$1,000 bond, and got Daniel out of the Wake County Jail by 3 p.m. He
has a May 29 Wake District Court date.
I did have an opportunity to tell Sen. Elizabeth Dole and NC Bankers
Association CEO Thad Woodard that I disagreed with them for promoting
a war parade. A few people nodded their heads in agreement at our
presence, but idolatry ruled the day as stern-faced soldiers marched
in formation behind many war vehicles as the throngs of spectators
screamed for joy at this massive show of force.
It was disheartening that the peace community was so poorly
represented at perhaps the largest-ever pro-war gathering in Raleigh.
I am thankful for those who turned out to break the unanimity at an
event that shamelessly glorified US domination through violence and
war.
In Peace,
Patrick O'Neil
Garner Catholic Worker House
124 Perdue St
Garner NC 27529
PMTO...@aol.com