Encampment to stop the war, day 3

Transcript of LeiLani Dowell's podcast on day 3 of the anti-war encampment on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., March 14, 2007.

The high energy and good, welcoming mood of activists who have been "roughing it" in front of the Capitol since Monday, was incredible to witness on Day 3 of the Encampment to Stop the War. As more and more people arrive from across the country and pitch their tents, it is estimated that the encampment is receiving somewhere along the lines of 300 visitors a day, the overwhelming majority sympathizers for the struggle to force Congress to cut off the war funding.

One example of this mood: today a young woman raised her hand at the daily meeting the encampment holds. She lives in the D.C. area, and just happened to walk by the encampment, seeing the huge banner in front of the Capitol that reads, "Congress, Cut off War Funds." She wanted to thank us for our presence, and what's more, wanted to sincerely offer anything she could to help. Later in the evening, she took several activists home to her apartment to take much-needed showers, and called her father's church to try to set up free housing for the weekend.

Today a delegation of women from across the country, organized by the Women's Fightback Network and joined by women from Code Pink, gathered at the encampment and took the metro to confront the Iraqi Embassy. Just a week after International Working Women's Day, the protest was to demand the release of three women--31-year-old Wassan Talib, 25-year-old Zainab Fadhil, and 26-year-old Liqa Muhammad--who were charged with death by hanging for their alleged participation in the resistance to the U.S. occupation. Bearing signs that read, "Resistance is not a crime--stop the executions" and "U.S. "democracy" = criminal death penalty", we presented petitions to the assistant to the ambassador, who denied us entry into the embassy to discuss the situation. Passersby in cars raised their fists in support while government officials peeked out of the windows to watch.

Back at the encampment, the anti-homeless nature of the U.S. government can be seen in the permit issued for the week-plus-long event in its capitol, Washington D.C. Protestors are not allowed to sleep at night in the tents, and food can only be distributed to "staff." I spoke with an activist today who was involved in a similar encampment in 1984, and he told me that the police repeatedly came by, waking up a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old on the grounds.

Although this has not been enforced since the beginning of this year's encampment two days ago, tonight the police showed up, shining their flashlights into tents and saying that anyone who was caught sleeping would be arrested. Perhaps the Democratic Party leaders in Congress are beginning to become antsy about our continued presence right in their faces. Perhaps they have done their research and know that we plan on loudly and militantly protesting tomorrow when the Senate appropriations committee is expected to vote on the war funding.

Tomorrow is an extremely busy day for encampment activists, with the protest against the vote, a press conference to announce May 1, 2007, a day of protest for immigrant and worker rights, and a car caravan of veterans and military families to protest the horrific treatment of veterans at Walter Reed hospital. Stay tuned.