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Today we had our second Freedom March of the 2010 summer. It was at Bastille Days, one of the many Milwaukee summer festivals. We did not exactly storm the Bastille but we did raise quite a storm with a few of the security guards. We had just started the New Orleans style funeral march when a few security guards stopped us. They said we could not march on the public sidewalk around the festival. In a not so nonviolent matter I started arguing with them that we had a right to use the public sidewalk as others were on the sidewalk and on the closed off street. They vehemently said no. They threatened to call the police on us and I said please do. From previous experiences I knew that as long as we stayed on the public sidewalks and were not disruptive we were within our rights. A crowd started to form around us wondering what was happening. We started passing out flyers to the crowd but the security guards stopped us.
Before the police could arrive one of the top officials of the festival arrived. He said he did not want to cause a commotion and that as long as were not disruptive we could have our funeral march. We said we did not want to be disruptive and continued marching.
Security guards stopped bothering us and we marched on to our New Orleans funeral music over a boom box and the beating of drums. Near the end of the first round the official appeared again to say we could not play the drums and boom box. We complied and made another round this time walking right down the middle of the street where the crowds had gathered.
We did not hand out many flyers on this march but there was a strong curiosity about our funeral march. Our message was in the jazzy spiritual music and drumming, the coffin covered with messages we carried, with the death masks some wore and the two signs giving our message of Teach War No More and No More War Spending.
At the end I told the group that by music, signs and actions we had sent our message, of the death and destruction that greed and endless wars bring — a message many did not want to hear. But it is a message that someone needed to say to Break the Silence. In a small way, I guess, we did storm the Bastille of Silence, Apathy and Death.
Comments
Fighting Brian — 11 July 2010, 11:37
Thank you all for your courage and passion to break the silence! Wish i coulda been there.
Omar Barberena — 13 July 2010, 11:02
Once again and it has been shown in our history, a fire cant be started without a spark. Today and during our demonstration in Bastille Days we have proven a point that will hope will make an impact on people’s mind. War has never been the answer as it only begets more violence and destruction and at the same time feeding the pockets of the Military Complex.
Thank you for those who joined us and let’s keep our hopes high that we will make this world a better place to live.
Best Regards
Amelia — 24 January 2012, 18:00
I’d venture that this artilce has saved me more time than any other.
mksevbv — 25 January 2012, 12:22
(:commentboxchrono:)
