Fasting for Peace in Iraq
56 days on the steps of the Oregon State Capitol
March 17, 2003 to May 11, 2003 
updated 02/09/04 at 13:44 PST

Attack on Capitol Vigil

Monday, April 7, 2003

The attack on us last Saturday night/Sunday morning has been covered extensively, yet inaccurately, for the past week by the local and national media. I've heard reports that describe the attack as "a few men who us from our sleeping bags and fled"--a highly watered-down version of what amounted to a vicious attack. 

At 4:00 a.m. we awakened to find a small group--three men and one woman (the woman was hiding in the shadows)--rampaging through our space and physically assaulting those of us whom were still awake. As we arose, we were knocked to the pavement and one of us, a Gulf War veteran, was hit with a broken broomstick and sustained minor injuries to his arm. The mean threw a great deal of our supplies into the street (where passing motorists helped us pick some of it up) and throughout neighboring Willson Park. My cherished posters of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi were badly damaged, and our sleeping bags were thrown into the park fountain. 

I found my cell phone after about five minutes and called 9-1-1. The police arrived fifteen minutes later, and upon their arrival, the men and woman took off running. They were never apprehended. We have since begun to have "night shifts" where someone is awake and alert at all times. Collectively, we decided that nonviolence is the guiding principle that we most wish to adhere to, even in times of adversity. Especially in these times of adversity, many of us feel that the cause of peace can be best served by living and practicing our hopes and dreams for a world free of war. 

Personally, I've come to the conclusion that there is little to truly fear when we aspire to live up to our loftiest goals for the human spirit, and in stillness find the quiet within the storm.

Namaste,

Michele

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Fasting for Peace in Iraq
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