March 2003 / War Declared - Arrested / 2 of 6

Things were going well, we were enjoying the sheer humanity of the event, there were tens of thousands of people, including hundreds of Moroccan and Turkish youths who were wearing head shawls and enthusiastically burning American flags. We watched this with mixed feelings, seeing as how inherently violent and anger-laden the environment was. We reflected that indeed, the flag no longer seemed to represent what it once might have, and has become, in the eyes of the world, a symbol of repression and countless military transgressions. There were speakers on stage, politicians, activists and musicians.

Towards the end of the day we approached our objective, the red cordon, and began postering at one end. By this stage several hundred protesters had climbed on top of the barricade, and several hundred more were pounding on the metal structure itself. Police were struggling to keep order. Rocks were being thrown. An all-girl activist Samba band, were putting on a tremendous show, the kind of music that fills your heart like a balloon.

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