Dissident Veteran For Peace

Like most American churches, at best, the US Roman Catholic church has done almost nothing concrete to oppose the bloody US invasion and occupation of Iraq. In an attempt to shake the faithful out of there complacency six young people staged a brief nonviolent protest at the Easter services at Chicago's Roman Catholic Holy Name Cathedral. Here's an excerpt from a Chicago Tribune report:

Prosecutors said the six were charged with felony charges because the damaged property belonged to a religious entity and the church will have to spend about $3,000 to replace chairs and carpeting.

A $400 cleaning failed to remove stains left by the fake blood, they said.

Prosecutors identified the six arrested as Donte D. Smith, 18; Ephran Ramirez Jr., 22; Ryne Ziemba, 25; and Regan Maher, 25, all of Chicago; Angela Haban, 20, of Prospect Heights; and Mercedes Phinaih, 18, of Downstate Bloomington.

The protesters, part of a group called Catholic School Girls Against the War despite their male and female membership, could each face up to 5 years in prison if convicted.

Below and here is a video of the protest:

From CommonDreams.org, here's part of an essay by a supporter:

Don’t fracture the peace.

I repeat: Do not fracture the peace — even though the silence of that peace masks the violence of war.

Do not fracture the peace of a peaceful Sunday — even though during that peace thousands of U.S. service members and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are being killed.

Do not fracture the peace — even though the resurrection being celebrated on Easter Sunday is the resurrection of the one who in the Christian faith is the ultimate fracturer of the peace, a peace that masks overwhelming violence.

Don’t fracture the peace.

The Holy Name 6 became fracturers of the peace on Easter Sunday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Interrupting the homily of Cardinal George and dramatizing the blood being spilt in Iraq, they poured staged blood upon themselves with spatters damaging the carpet (and, quite unintentionally and inadvertently, the clothing of nearby parishioners.) The six now face up to 5 years in prison on a felony charge of property damage.

Their action invites us into deeper consideration and contemplation of what our response ought to be to challenge and end the war in and occupation of Iraq. It is a challenge and invitation to all of us — and to each of us — to deepen and intensify our nonviolent resistance to the Iraq - Afghanistan war, for their action was deeply rooted in nonviolence.

The Holy Name 6 are enduring great criticism for their action. Property was damaged. People were disturbed. Sensibilities were challenged. And those engaged in the action are all so young.

You can help the Holy Name 6 by making a donation or signing this petition.

See here for another video related to the protest wherein Cardinal George accuses the Holy Name 6 of an "act of violence" for disrupting church services.

Labels: Holy Name 6, Iraq, political prisoners, religion, resistance, video, War