Civil disobedience in front of White House protesting

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Civil disobedience in front of White House protesting

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   I received an email from Erik Johnson that he was going to Washington DC as part of the Christian Peace Keeping Team to protest the war in Iraq. He and his wife Libby planned to be arrested along with about a thousabd others that had signed up for this action. My son Jim Toren told me that he was driving Jon Blickenstaff to DC to join up with Erik and Libby. Shoot! I couldn't let them get arrested by themselves so I signed up to and off we went!

Jim Toren and Jon Blickenstaff try to figure out how to get to the New York Presbyterian church on New York Avenue.

   We are riding the Metro from Wheaton which is the nearest Metro station to where we were staying.

Libby Johnson looks on while husband Erik Johnson signs up for Civil Disobedience.

   Both Erik and Libby are veterans of Civil Disobedience. Erik at the SOA protest at Fort Benning, and both he and Libby at Oak Ridge, TN where the Y12 complex is located.

   Jon Blickenstaff and John Toren signed up as well. In total there were about 350 folks who were on site. Over 700 had originally registered but couldn't make it due to the blizzards that were hitting the North East.

This is the inside of the New York Ave. church that half of
us gathered at before the civil disobedience began in front of the White House.

   The other half was at the National Cathedral. The speaches and prayers that were being offered at the National Cathedral were televised live at this church so that both groups could be together during this time.

Jon Blickenstaff spotted a Cincinnatian in back of where
we were sitting and went back to greet him. Maybe Jon can fill us in on what transpired.

   Anyhow it was good to see someone else from Cincinnati, OH joining in the protest.

John Toren and Jon Blickenstaff await their arrest. Both these guys are members of FootPrints For Peace and signed up for Civil Disobedience prior to coming to DC.

John Toren and Jon Blickenstaff standing in front of the White. In a few hours they will cross over to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue and be arrested.

The mass of folks are starting the walk down to Lafayette Park. The park is a 7 acre public park located directly north of the White House on H Street between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. This is where we were to gather and rally before we ventured across the street to the White House side where we were to be arrested.

Jon Blickenstaff, John Toren, Libby Johnson and Erik Johnson cling together during the candle ceremony held at Lafayette Park shortly before they crossed over to the White House side.

We are on the way! It was so very cold. Son Jim Toren was trying his best to take pictures but his hand were shaking so much even with gloves on. You can still catch the mood of the moment when so many were going to be arrested.

Jim was trying his best to catch Jon, his dad John, Libby and Erik but we were moving pretty fast and all he got was dad John. They sent us across in groups of 50 and we were the first batch.

Due to the freezing cold and the mass, perhaps 15,000, of people it was just impossible to film the actual arrests. This picture was taken as the arrests were being made.

Jim somehow managed to get a close up of the bus that Jon, Libby, Erik and me were detained in. Jon was the ninth arrest and I believe I was number 13. We were photographed and finger printed and then loaded on a waiting bus. We were not sure where we were headed to but at least we were warm!

   After all was said and done I guess there were somewhere around 300 of us that were arrested. Considering that we had to drive through a blizzard and bad icy roads to just get there I suppose it wasn't to bad. There were a thousand signed up but none of the buses from the northeast made it because of the weather. They were with us in spirit.
All and all it was well worth the cost to stand up for peace! BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!

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	I received an email from Erik Johnson that he was going to Washington DC as part of the Christian Peace Keeping Team to protest the war in Iraq. He and his wife Libby planned to be arrested along with about a thousabd others that had signed up for this action. My son Jim Toren told me that he was driving Jon Blickenstaff to DC to join up with Erik and Libby. Shoot! I couldn't let them get arrested by themselves so I signed up to and off we went! Jim Toren and Jon Blickenstaff try to figure out how to get to the New York Presbyterian church on New York Avenue. We are riding the Metro from Wheaton which is the nearest Metro station to where we were staying. Libby Johnson looks on while husband Erik Johnson signs up for Civil Disobedience. Both Erik and Libby are veterans of Civil Disobedience. Erik at the SOA protest at Fort Benning, and both he and Libby at Oak Ridge, TN where the Y12 complex is located. Jon Blickenstaff and John Toren signed up as well. In total there were about 350 folks who were on site. Over 700 had originally registered but couldn't make it due to the blizzards that were hitting the North East. This is the inside of the New York Ave. church that half of us gathered at before the civil disobedience began in front of the White House. The other half was at the National Cathedral. The speaches and prayers that were being offered at the National Cathedral were televised live at this church so that both groups could be together during this time. Jon Blickenstaff spotted a Cincinnatian in back of where we were sitting and went back to greet him. Maybe Jon can fill us in on what transpired. Anyhow it was good to see someone else from Cincinnati, OH joining in the protest. John Toren and Jon Blickenstaff await their arrest. Both these guys are members of FootPrints For Peace and signed up for Civil Disobedience prior to coming to DC. John Toren and Jon Blickenstaff standing in front of the White. In a few hours they will cross over to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue and be arrested. The mass of folks are starting the walk down to Lafayette Park. The park is a 7 acre public park located directly north of the White House on H Street between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. This is where we were to gather and rally before we ventured across the street to the White House side where we were to be arrested. Jon Blickenstaff, John Toren, Libby Johnson and Erik Johnson cling together during the candle ceremony held at Lafayette Park shortly before they crossed over to the White House side. We are on the way! It was so very cold. Son Jim Toren was trying his best to take pictures but his hand were shaking so much even with gloves on. You can still catch the mood of the moment when so many were going to be arrested. Jim was trying his best to catch Jon, his dad John, Libby and Erik but we were moving pretty fast and all he got was dad John. They sent us across in groups of 50 and we were the first batch. Due to the freezing cold and the mass, perhaps 15,000, of people it was just impossible to film the actual arrests. This picture was taken as the arrests were being made. Jim somehow managed to get a close up of the bus that Jon, Libby, Erik and me were detained in. Jon was the ninth arrest and I believe I was number 13. We were photographed and finger printed and then loaded on a waiting bus. We were not sure where we were headed to but at least we were warm! After all was said and done I guess there were somewhere around 300 of us that were arrested. Considering that we had to drive through a blizzard and bad icy roads to just get there I suppose it wasn't to bad. There were a thousand signed up but none of the buses from the northeast made it because of the weather. They were with us in spirit. All and all it was well worth the cost to stand up for peace! BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!