Cambridge City Council Meeting, Monday, June 20 (re: INVASION)

[paineinthearse]

Received by email from MOBE.

Invasion of the Cambridge Common



Last Tuesday was the Army's 230th Anniversary and when we learned that a celebration complete with recruitment trailers and paratroopers was to take place on the Cambridge common, we decided to attend in order to assure that our views had a strong presence. What we encountered was a tense atmosphere as members of Veterans for Peace attempted to negotiate with police to be let into the green area where a stage had been set. Dissenters were allowed inside, one by one, and we gathered in front of the cameras. When the event was about to start, however, elders and youth alike were aggressively pushed back by the police and restricted to the ironically named "Free Speech Zone." As we struggled to remain in the picture, some were arrested, including members of the American Friends Service Committee. Our group of Mobe organizers, wearing shirts that read, "you can't bribe us to die, you can't bribe us to kill," moved quickly to stand in front of the area were the paratroopers landed. By moving quickly our group was able to defy the zone where the police wanted to curb our dissenting voices. Despite the police's insistence on keeping us confined, this desperate extravaganza is yet another sign of the increasing difficulty that the army is facing in convincing young people to sign on to a war that the majority of Americans do not believe in and for which no end is yet in sight. Thanx to State Rep. Byron Rushing for standing with us all day!

Cambridge residents who are upset about this invasion of a city that is notoriously anti-war, and even has a peace commision, are planning on attending a hearing Monday evening to express their anger.

Monday, June 20, 2005

5:30 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting

City Hall, Sullivan Chamber

For more info contact the City of Cambridge Peace Commission @ [phone]

[unhappycamper]

1. More pictures of the invasion can be found at the following links:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=158x5069

and

http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/38621/index.php



It will be interesting to hear the comments of the citizens of Cambridge. Theoretically, it is their city.

[paineinthearse]

2. You had to have been there

The whole thing was a staged circus.

On an pristine open park, they erected iron gates around the helicopter/parchutist landing zone, the entire perimeter and the "free speech" zone.

Regular police were not good enough. The tactical police in their black SS uniforms were out in force. I observed these guys closely, standing near one of only two entry/exit points. They were very chummy with the military and their guests, very belligerant with the protesters.

There was no need for such a staged display, perhaps a traditional parade would have been sufficient, where army vets of all ages could have joined in.

No, this was another staged dog and pony show, the difference being it was "in your face, Cambridge".

Can anyone get to the hearing? I live 30+ miles away, but I'm certainly going to try. ALL Cambridge DU'ers need to show a presence, else you will be seeing more and more of those black-uniformed goons.

[paineinthearse]

3. so, who attended?

I did, made some contacts, and retired across the stree for Geoff Bartley's Monday night open mike at CanTab.

A great time was had by all.