PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

My Reflections Upon Civil Disobedience
by Red Kangaroo Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 at 7:50 PM

Personal reflections on the die-in that occurred on Sunday.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to reflect upon the civil disobedience in which I took part during the Regional Anti-War Convergence. Some of you took part in this act of civil disobedience with me, some supported from the side lines, and some were there in spirit. Regardless of your level of participation, I would like to share my reflections with you.

After the march and the rallies, we had a "die-in" to symbolize the casualties of war. Someone dressed up as George Bush and pointed a paper mache missile at the crowd, and the die-in began. We (I estimate that there may have been thirty of us*) lay in the middle of Fifth Avenue in Oakland, during a snowstorm, huddled together for at least a half an hour.

The major things that I have gained from this experience are: a greater sense of empathy for victims of war, and a deeper appreciation for the kindness of others, the love and support of friends, and the solidarity that we had experienced.

We lay in the middle of the street (some of us were on tarps; my head was on a tarp, but my body was on the slushy street), as a crowd encircled us, peering down at us, and "George Bush" and his cohorts reveled in their gains at our expense and demise. We were merely casualties. I became angrier than I already had been at Bush - imagining the torture, tragedy, humiliation, and degradation of actual "casualties" of war. To experience mock degradation for more than half an hour (in weather that was so cold that it was painful) was almost more than I could bare. I gained a tremendous amount of empathy for people who are forced to experience the tragedy of more direct effects of war, especially at the hands of this country which, in principle, was supposed to have been founded on the ideals of justice and democracy.

The support that I, and we as a group, received was wonderful and greatly appreciated. My friends watched my children, so that I was able to participate in the events of this day without subjecting them to the harsh weather. I gained much comfort from peering into my partner's loving face, and the faces of the other activists who had gathered around us. I trusted that no matter what would happen, I would have the support of my fellow activists, and from organizations such as the General Defense Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World, National Lawyers Guild, and the American Civil Liberties Union. In a progressive community, such as ours, an activist is never abandoned.

I have several friends who participated in the die-in, and whose names I omit or change here for privacy. Theresa, Karl and I were huddled together, trying to keep each other warm (and entertained, by singing songs written by Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon). When Theresa and I were holding one another, shivering, Karl, in an unimaginable act of kindness, took off his coat and used it to cover us as a blanket. He took his coat off while lying in slush on a freezing day so that Theresa and I could be warmer! That is an act of kindness that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was wonderful to receive so much warmth, love, and support from fellow activists; that is what solidarity is all about.

It was cold - it was so cold, that the precipitation that had fallen upon us had turned to ice (my hair felt like curly icicles), as had the side of my pants that had been resting in slush, but the discomfort that we had endured pales in comparison to the tragedies experienced by the "casualties" of war, and I had the opporturnity to experience the joy of the support, kindness, generosity, and solidarity from my loved ones, and my fellow activists, that had manifested as comfort and (relative) warmth.

The corporate media falsely reported that, "the die-in died out after about twenty-five minutes." The police tactics were to "freeze us out" rather than take us by force, and after about a half of an hour, most of us had decided that we had gotten our point across, and frost bite was not appealing, but there were three individuals who remained lying on the street for at least two hours (and as my friends and I were soaking our extremities in a sink in the restroom of a church, a group of activists continued to give support to those brave and warm-blooded folks).

The entire Convergence was a success. Everyone - socialists, feminists, clergy and churchfolk, veterans, at least one politician (our state senator, Jim Ferlo), communists, anarchists, union members, Radical Cheerleaders and Raging Grannies, even some patriotic folk - came together on one issue. That, I believe, is what this movement is all about. What a thrill to have been part of it!

I am forwarding a link to the indy media site (which I believe provides us with the most accurate and non-biased information possible) regarding the die-in. If you follow the links to die-in photos, you can see me as a bright pink blob of frozen sweater in the middle of the group.

Thank you, to those who supported, in spirit, from the side lines, and alongside me.

In Peace and Solidarity,
"Red Kangaroo"

*note: I later learned that the number of initial participants in the die-in was closer to 80!

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