Photos from Two Days of Protest in Washington DC

Standing with Mike Tork from Cape Cod, Ma. who got arrested with us at Bath Iron Works in Maine last April 1 during 'christening' of another Aegis destroyer.

I spent a night in DeWitt town jail with Chuck Heyn a couple of years ago after we were arrested at the Hancock Air Field drone base just outside of Syracuse, NY.  Chuck came to our recent Global Network space conference in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Vietnam veteran Bill Perry showed us the names of six of his unit mates on the Vietnam Wall who were killed when their chopper was shot down.  Bill was supposed to be on that chopper but was goofing off and missed the flight and had to take another helicopter and just missed the terrible moment.

During the rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial I held this flag - many tourists stopped by and listened or took photos of the event.

Peggy Akers from Maine was a nurse in Vietnam during the war.  She has been an active VFP member for many years.

Art Laffin lives at the Catholic Worker House in Washington.  Every week since 1987 his community has held vigils at the Pentagon and the White House.  Art joined us for the march to the White House.

Great banner that says it all. 

The Fugs did a return engagement and performed their legendary song (first sang at the Pentagon in 1967) when they tried to levitate the war building.  This time they chased the demons from the White House before we marched to that site from the Lincoln Memorial.  People loved it.  Listen to the song here.

One final photo of rally participants at the Lincoln Memorial before taking off for the White House.

Lots of car and foot traffic saw us as we marched to the White House.  The white VFP flags are so visible.

VFP national board member Tarak Kauff was the lead organizer for the rally and march.  Tarak came to Maine last year and was arrested with us at Bath Iron Works during our Zumwalt 12 action at the shipyard.

I spoke outside the White House telling the story of the Obama-Hillary Clinton 'pivot' of 60% of Pentagon forces into the Asia-Pacific to provocatively encircle China and Russia.  I talked about how this massive military redeployment is severely impacting places like Jeju Island, South Korea and Okinawa as new US bases now being built destroy the environment and local fishing and farming cultures.

 

Final group photo at the White House.  It was a good two days of protest in Washington as huge crowds of holiday tourists thronged to the usual hot spots memorializing American  'freedom and democracy' - neither of which exist in the US any longer. 

Photos  by Ellen Davidson and others.....click on the photos for a better view....see more photos here