In a display of resistance against the impending war in Iraq, 60-70 demonstrators of all ages gathered in Bryant Park for a march that would end at the Armed Service Recruiting office in Times Square, where 16 members would be arrested for "obstructing governmental administation".  Organized by the New York Non-Violence Network, activists performed a mock funeral procession featuring participants dressed as Iraqi women holding rag-doll babies in their arms as they walked behind coffins symbolic of their dead children, otherwise known as collateral damage.

It was this somber vision which led the demostrators in two single files down the street towardsTimes Square.  One woman who is a member of Brooklyn Parents For Peace expressed her concern over diminishing civil rights here at home, and chose to march in opposition to the war because she believes Saddam Hussein could be contained  and that the U.S should allow U.N investigaters to do their job.
   
People passing by stopped to read signs exhibiting quotes from Martin Luther King's speech aganist the Vietnam war.  One woman said "Thank you I am with you" as she headed towards the Conde Naste building.  Fliers were handed out and a few people could be seen standing aside reading the anti-war message.  
As the procession reached its destination the group flanked the parameters of the triangle holding their anti-war signs and banners.  One woman crossed the police barricade to ask why we believed it is wrong to attack Iraq.  I acknowledged that Saddam was not a nice man but that waging a war on the poorest of the poor would not strengthen our position in the region.  
I asked her why she thought we should go and her answer was to find the terrorists who attacked us on 9-11.  I responded by reminding her that most of the terrorists were from Saudi Arabia and that there is no proof that Iraq has ties to Al Queda.   The U.S has been bombing Iraq for over 10 years and has catapulted their economy into desperate poverty. I pointed out that this is no way to make friends if we want to put an end to extremism.  She remained engaged for five minutes truly open to a different point of view.  


In the meantime approximately five Police officers had already gathered in front of the recruiting office prepared with a parked police van.  Seasoned activists, many of whom were senior citizens, entered the pathway of the military recruiting station for a sit in. Among them were Aaron Moss who at 93 is confined to a wheelchair, Carmen Trotta and Dan Berrigan, radical Jesuit and Fordham University professor.  Police sat and watched as Carmen Trotta made an impassioned speech calling for Americans to stand up and resist the war in Iraq reminding us of what Martin Luther King had said years ago that the United States was engaging in an "emerging pattern of suppresion".   His fervent intensity lit a flame which caught the attention of  bystanders who drew closer into the triangle. 
At this point police officers were already beginning to arrest participants of the sit in.  Gingerly they tried to reason with Mr. Moss to wheel himself off before they had to arrest him, which they finally did along with all the others.  One pedestrian who stood to witness the 
incident began to berate the officers asking "Is this what you do with my tax dollars?  Is this what our 'cool' police officers are paid to do?"
One by one plastic hand cuffs were placed on a peaceful but illegal sit in.  Trotta was the last to be taken into custody but he continued to engage the audience who cheered him on as he was placed into the police van.   An eight year old boy who took part in the march with his parents joined in the cheers.  I asked him what he thought of all this and he replied "If you don't do anything bad to other countries no one will do anything to you."
Perhaps it is time for all of us to do our duty, be heard and become involved.  For more information check the following websites:

War Resisters League: wrl@warresisters.org  or www.warresisters.org
Education for Peace in Iraq: www.epic-use.org
Foreign Policy in Focus: www.fpif.org
Brooklyn Parents For Peace: www.brooklynpeace.org
Voices in the Wilderness: www.vitw.org
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting: www.fair.org
CommonDreams Progressive Newswire: www.commondreams.org
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom:
wilpf@wilpfnymetro.org   OR  www.wilpfnymetro.org