William Thomas first introduced fanny to brick on the White House sidewalk on June 3, 1981. His sign said, “Wanted: Wisdom and Honesty.”
He’s been there ever since, still squatting, still wanting.
A few months after he began, he was joined by Concepcion Picciotto, who has remained similarly steadfast.
War is not over, but the peace protesters have won. Sort of. The oasis of green across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House is theirs.
At some point a protest may become more than what it is about. It becomes a thing in itself. An institution. A monument.
Take Lafayette out of Lafayette Square—the monumental statuary likeness of the Frenchman, with Colonial braid, big boots and a sword—and hardly anyone would notice.
(Hint: He’s not the guy on the charger; that’s Jackson).
But get rid of the shelter made of a battered patio umbrella, a weathered plastic tarp and those faded anti-nuke signs erected by Thomas and Picciotto?
When: 12-3pm, Monday, May 18 Where: Outside the White House, Lafayette Park
Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be meeting with President Obama on Monday, May 18th in the White House. Supporters of the State of Israel and Netanyahu are being bussed in to and will hold a "Say No to Palestinian State " rally from 10am-3pm.
Let's be out there with other messages such as "Say No to an Apartheid State," "Want Peace? End the Occupation," "Want Peace? Lift the Siege of Gaza," "Never Again Includes Palestine," "Obama: Stop Funding Israel's War Crimes," etc.
Make your own signs/costumes. Bring photos of Gaza or coffins or an apartheid wall! Get creative. Bring your friends. Show another face of the American people.
A delegation of prominent leaders from Honduras, including a member of Congress, a former presidential candidate and human rights leader, in an open forum regarding the recent military coup that was carried out bu graduates of the School of the Americas in Honduras. The delegation has been in Washington since Monday meeting with the State Department, Congressional leaders, international institutions, and others regarding the political situation in their nation. We will also have the participation of Hondurans for Democracy Coalition in the Washington DC region explaining the type of actions people living in the United States should perform to protect democracy in Honduras.
For questions and to RSVP, please contact:
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Bios of the Honduran Delegation:
Marvin Ponce Sauceda is a representative in the Honduran National Congress from the Democratic Union Party. Elected to Congress in 2006, he is a rural development expert and former advisor to the Honduran small farmers' association, COCOCH. Mr. Ponce will share his perspectives regarding the proceedings in the Honduran Congress leading up to the coup.
Jari Dixon Herrera Hernández, a lawyer with the Honduran Attorney General's office, is the vice president of the Prosecutors' Association of Honduras. He is well known for his efforts to expose corruption within the Honduran justice system. He will present an analysis of the legal justifications regarding the events leading up to June 28th.
Dr. Juan Almendares Bonilla is a widely recognized environmentalist who was candidate for president for the Democratic Union party in the 2005 elections. He is director of the Madre Tierra environmental association. He will speak about violations of fundamental human rights, civil liberties and the constitution of Honduras, including violation of the freedom of the press.
