Rallies to free the children

Ellen Davidson wrote today:

On our [Tarak Kauff, Bruce Gagnon, Ellen Davidson] way home from giving a presentation on the Veterans Peace Team delegations to Okinawa in Blue Hill, Maine, last night, we stopped in Damariscotta to join one of the anti-ICE vigils and marches around the country. I was expecting to join a dozen or so of the faithful with signs, being ignored or greeted with hostility by the rest of the world. Imagine my surprise to find both sides of the bridge filled with people—more than 300! With very few exceptions (I only counted four), response from the passersby (this is a hot tourist spot) was enthusiastically positive. Two young boys across the road from me were practically dancing as they greeted the passing cars. An eagle came by and flew over our heads as if to say “I pity the fools who think they can use me as a symbol for oppression and nationalism. There are no borders where I fly.”   See more of Ellen's bridge photos here

In addition to the three of us listed just above we were joined by fellow VFP members Dud Hendrick and Russell Wray at the Blue Hill library last evening for our talk on Okinawa.  All of us have gone to Jeju Island, South Korea and Okinawa together over the last few years.  We have been determined to share the stories and lessons learned from those experiences with as many people as possible.

Each of us spoke for a few minutes and Ellen (who took these photos) showed a slideshow of the resistance by the people in Okinawa against the current US base expansion on Oura Bay where a twin-runway is being built on top of the pristine water body.

From left to right - Dud Hendrick, Russell Wray, Tarak Kauff, and Bruce Gagnon. 

A collection was taken and $377 was donated for future Veterans Peace Team solidarity delegations to key places around the world where the US is creating havoc.

See more of Ellen's photos from the event last night here

Bruce