CPTnet
4 February 2006
IRAQ/WASHINGTON, DC UPDATE: Shine the Light Campaign, 19-29 January
Thursday, 19 January
A dozen people participated in the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT)
procession in front of Andrews Air Force Base. Two helicopters, a guard
behind the fence, and a local police officer were the only security
presence. A contingent of five people from Jubilee Partners in Georgia
joined the witness. When the procession and worship gathered at the White
House, the numbers grew to twenty-one.
Friday, 20 January The Shine the Light procession with hooded captive, sign,
and lights walked the route from Foggy Bottom Metro stop and then marched
two and a half times around the State Department complex, before heading to
the White House for a circuit and a half. The mother of a Marine killed in
Iraq stopped to share her distress and frustration with the war. Scott
Garber of the Washington Community Fellowship led the closing worship and
then the University Park Church of the Brethren served dinner at the
Washington Peace Center. Channel 7, ABC TV, did a short interview with Kindy
that aired that night.
Saturday, 21 January
Vigilers did a procession from the Peace Center to the FBI, Justice
Department, and IRS, all three in adjoining blocks. Three CPT steering
committee representatives, one of the "Lost Boys" from Sudan, and six
persons who had been to Iraq contributed to making the witness the largest
to date by the time participants gathered at the White House for closing
worship.
Sunday, 22 January Geri and MJ Park and their two sons, PJ and Michael, met
at the Peace Center with Cliff Kindy to plan for the meeting with the
military recruiter on Tuesday.
In the afternoon ,about six people processed down Vermont Avenue from the
Peace Center to the White House for two circuits of that complex. But soon
the group grew to twenty-one as Juanita Shenk led the closing worship. Pat
Ruble, another peace veteran from Iraq and a member of the Washington
Community Fellowship, brought dinner to the Peace Center.
Monday, 23 January
Kindy joined the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker regular weekly 7:00 AM witness
at the Pentagon. Then at 3:00 PM the Shine the Light presence arrived at the
same entrance to the Pentagon. Seven people participated. When a military
contractor stopped to talk and give encouragement to the CPTers, the
security presence jumped from three personnel to over twenty uniformed
Pentagon police. Stoltzfus kept calmly negotiating as the procession and
prayer gathering proceeded.
Tuesday,24 January
Twenty-six CPTers and supporters gathered at the Prince George's Plaza
federal building for a witness at the U.S. Army recruiting center. Four
members of the Park family were inside with the skeptical recruiter. The
rest of the participants--including 89 year-old Iowan, Marion Solomon, who
had traveled to Iraq with CPT before the 2003 invasion--did their procession
up and down the sidewalk outside the building. Jean Stokan from Pax Christi
led the closing worship at the White House and Potters House hosted the
group for dinner.
Wednesday, 25 January
Fourteen people gathered at the Lockheed Martin global headquarters for the
day's procession. Lockheed is one of the largest military contractors in the
world. Sixty percent of its contracts are with the Pentagon and another 20%
are with Homeland Security. At one point an employee came out to talk
briefly with Rey Lopez. St. Aloysius soup kitchen hosted the small group of
CPTers for the evening meal.
Thursday, 26 January
A Sam Husseini press alert with a Kindy quote about the Palestinian
elections led to two live radio interviews from Greenburg, New Jersey, and
Seattle, Washington. At least eleven people participated in the procession
around the Capitol/Senate and House office buildings complex. The numbers
grew to about fifteen as Cindy Lapp and Joe Roos led the closing worship at
the White House. Catholic Workers again hosted the group for the evening
meal.
Friday, 27 January
The witness was at the Veterans Administration. An Israeli woman engaged a
CPTer to learn more about depleted uranium weaponry and the impact on US
troops and Iraqi citizens. After closing worship, everyone car pooled to
the Langley Hill Friends Meeting for the meal and their regular weekly
vigil. CPTer Tom Fox, currently being held captive in Iraq is a member of
the meeting.
Saturday, 28 January
By the time vehicles transported people to the Langley Hill parking lot,
thirty people were forming the procession at the CIA headquarters. Security
was tight; personnel checked the cameras of participants. But after talking
to Gene Stoltzfus, the authorities became more relaxed. About fourteen
visitors swelled the crowd; some had traveled 500 miles from the Genesis
Church of the Brethren in Vermont. Johannes Williams, a Quaker lawyer,
served as a legal monitor during the afternoon.
Both TV channels 5 and 8 did interviews with meeting members and CPTers
about the just released video of the four CPTers, Tom Fox, Jim Loney,
Harmeet Sooden, and Norman Kember, still held in Iraq.
Sunday, 29 January
After two circuits around the White House complex and a short procession on
the street between Lafayette Park and the White House, Anne Herman closed
the fifteen-day campaign with a short worship service. She commissioned the
lights to keep burning in the various communities to which the participants
would be returning. Seven different states and provinces were represented
among the dozen people participating in the vigil.
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Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks to enlist the whole church in
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