a special report from Anne Llewellyn Barstow

dated 11-29-01

Since "everything changed" on Sept. 11, the annual SOA protest changed too. Despite dire doubts as to whether it would take place at all, with Ft. Benning on high alert and no permit from the city of Columbus, between 7,500 - 10,000 persons came to Georgia anyway. We turned the time of national crisis to advantage, adding new rituals to old.

Most important perhaps was our legal victory in Federal Court on the eve of the protest. With ACLU help we challenged the denial of permit. The judge finally ruled that in 11 years of peaceful exercise of our right to free speech, we HAD EARNED the right to protest at the gates of Ft. Benning, and ordered that we have access to the entire area, not just one lane of the road. This affirmation of our disciplined activism buoyed us up for an unforgettable protest next day.

The main "new" feature was The Wall, a wire-mesh fence across the entrance to the base. Well, wire mesh was just what we needed! Since most of us could not climb the high fence, we DECORATED it. It took over 3 hours for the huge crowd to complete its task, but finally everyone of us had placed her cross (and flowers, pictures, rosaries, you name it) on the fence. The extra time required to do this made the deep silence all the more awesome. Meanwhile, the traditional ritual of calling the names of the dead and the response, "Presente," went on. It was as always moving. Many were in tears. When the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship group finished a prayer at the gate, we realized that 40 or 50 people had gathered around to pray with us. We prayed for "all victims of terrorism."

One group did a "die-in" at the gate, and others built a Global Village at the foot of the wall. People brought cooking grills, spread blankets, even tried to add a toilet and TV set - it made a fine display. Later there was fantastic dancing and drumming. But for about 100 the more serious encounter was just beginning. As darkness fell, the die-in folks did not move. Finally the Columbus police arrested them (about 30). They began a fast that lasted about 48 hours. About 70 others managed to get around the fence and to trespass on the base. They were booked and released, but not before a number received ban and bar notices (Charles Booker-Hirsh was a Presbyterian among them). Fourteen will face possible jail sentences. The court was flooded with faxes from across the country and finally on Tuesday night even the fasters, having pled guilty to "obstructing a road," were let go.

We proved that not even the national emergency could stop us from pursuing the closing of SOA. We will be back next year - and will gather in Washington on Apr 20-21 as well. As our chanting and singing was interspersed with calls to "End the war in Afghanistan" and "Punish the terrorists, don't bomb the Afghans," we joined SOA Watch with the larger peace movement.

A major
Ghost Ranch event this summer!

July 28 - August 3, 2008

Paths toward Peace and Justice:
Spirituality, Earth-Care, and the Prophetic Word in a time of Violence

If you like what you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep this website going ... and growing!

Please consider making a special contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve this service.

Click here to send a gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.

Or send your check, made out to "Witherspoon Society" and marked "web site," to our Witherspoon  Bookkeeper: