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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