Gaza solidarity protest shuts down entrances to General Dynamics in Saco, Maine

 

We decorated the GD sign

 

 

 

 

The side entrance into GD was blocked as well

Blocking the side entrance with cement filled trash can

Early on Friday morning (5:45 am) 35 activists from around the state blocked two entrances to the General Dynamics (GD) weapons corporation in Saco, Maine. Inside the weapons plant, components for the bombs that Washington sends to Israel are produced.

Right across the street from the bomb factory is the 'Young School' (kindergarten thru 2nd grade).

It was an ingeniously designed blockade that consisted of three people locked into cement filled tires, two people locked into the rear end of a boat (which had a hole in it), and two people locked into a barely running blue truck.

In addition, the other side entrance to GD was blocked by two people locked into an old black plastic trash can filled with cement.

GD workers thus were prevented from driving directly into the facility and had to park in a side lot and walk into work. During the six hour blockade all the worker cars had flyers placed under their windshield wipers.

About 25 police from Saco, Old Orchard Beach, York County, and the state police arrived and wandered around admiring the creativity of the blockade. We later learned that the cops called the U-Haul company and reported that one of their trucks was used to help deliver the goods for the blockade.

During the event chants, singing and speeches were zoomed out from a megaphone. Others (including me) were standing with signs and banners along the very busy roadway. There were some nasty middle fingers that were shot at us but also many supportive honks, waves and peace signs from the very slowly passing motorists. Many people in cars filmed the action as they crept by.

Surprising (unlike what happened in late-March at Elbit Systems in Merrimack, NH where eight of us were arrested in a similar blockade) the cops arrested no one. GD obviously decided they didn't want to increase the media coverage - and likely realized that the three TV stations that covered the protest would have had a field day filming the cops trying to dislodge folks from their well made lock-downs.

Thus the cops just waited us out and all left without any arrests.

I was so happy to have been involved in this remarkable protest that reached thousands as they drove by along with the media coverage we got. As I was writing this report one friend from Bath, Maine called and told Mary Beth (who took the photos above) that she saw us on the news last night. 

During the long hours where I faithfully stood with my favorite sign (War Hawks out of D.C.) along the road I played a counting game to pass the time. I conservatively estimated that over the six hours at least 7,200 vehicles passed by (using simple math equations) in the two-lane road in front of the protest. During the 6-8 am and then noon time rush the cars in both directions were non-stop.

It is clear to me that these protests do serve a great function - to pull the American people directly (emotionally and intellectually) into the issue. For that brief moment as they drove by our blockade they could not deny, ignore or look away from the current Israel-US-EU genocide in Palestine.

I was proud to be a part of it.

Today at 1:30 pm we will be holding another Gaza solidarity protest in the popular beach town of Wells located on Rt 1 in southern Maine.

Bruce