Quick Thoughts On Williston Anti-War Action

December 3, 2007

Wow. And that about sums it up – the anti-war event last Friday, that is. Well, let me add this: It was moving. It was inspiring. It was energizing. It was empowering. And it was nothing short of an honor to be a part of it. To each and every one of you who helped make it happen: Thanks. I needed that.

If you haven’t read about the event here, here or here, go there, there and there to read about it. They’ve got all the facts and figures – and photos, too! — to give you a sense of what happened. The movers and shakers behind this event, the Peace Club at Mount Mansfield Union High School, deserve one, long moment of recognition and honor for putting this action on the agenda and then working with the “old timers” to make it happen.

These students were tired of seeing the U.S. military recruiters coming to their school week in and week out to hand out recruiting propaganda in the pursuit of more young war fodder. And they didn’t just bitch and moan about it, they took action. They decided that they wanted to return the “favor” and visit the recruiting offices of the military to give them a message of their own: “Out of our schools, out of Iraq.” And so they did.

These students also had a goal of shutting down the recruiting offices while delivering their message. They wanted to participate in a peaceful act of civil disobedience to add a little punch to their message. Specifically, they wanted to hold a sit-in at the offices while also doing “counter-recruitment” by handing out anti-war materials and forming a coalition with Iraq Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out. And so they did.

But before embarking on their act of civil disobedience, they realized they needed a plan and they needed training. And so off they went for an all-day session at Wheelock Farm on a snowy Saturday in November, where they got advice, made a plan, and were trained in the fine arts of civil disobedience.

And then they made a media plan. They made signs. They rehearsed the various scenarios. They met and met again. They checked and checked again. They changed their plans when the military folks let them know that they knew they were coming. But they kept coming. And meeting. And planning. And checking. And just making sure it all worked. And so it did.

On Friday, November 30, 2007, all five military recruitment offices in Williston, Vermont were shut down for the afternoon and evening because of the dream of these students. No, make that, because of the dream and the willingness to act on that dream of these brave students. Better yet, the event was peaceful – even joyful – as 70 or more people made their march with the students to spread the original “Out of our schools, out of Iraq message.”

In the end, thirteen of us – myself included — were arrested for trespassing in the offices of the Vermont National Guard. Standing before a judge and – eventually — a jury to answer these charges will be a small price to pay for having the opportunity to be a part of such an uplifting and hopeful event. Getting to spend those hours with the students, the veterans, the family members of soldiers and the other activists was pure nourishment for the activist soul. I was moved. And I remain moved. Thank you, MMU students.

Onward.

Posted by M. Colby | Filed Under activism, blog, war & peace

Comments

3 Responses to “Quick Thoughts On Williston Anti-War Action”

NTodd on December 3rd, 2007 4:15 pm

Everybody deserves a big round of applause, including the people who honk at us in support of the action. Special congratulations to The Williston Thirteen.
anti war on December 11th, 2007 6:32 am

[...] Quick Thoughts On Williston Anti-War Action [...]
Natural Born Trespassers | Broadsides on February 6th, 2008 12:02 pm

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