Holy Innocents Remembered - Pentagon and White House

Thanks to Liz McAlister for her report on this event.

The Atlantic Life Community convened December 27-30 in Washington, D.C., for its annual Holy Innocents Faith and Resistance Retreat, this year on the theme "faces of the children and the world we are delivering to them."

More than 70 people participated, plus more than 20 children in childcare. Liz McAlister introduced the theme in her opening presentation, and others followed over three days: Dr. Jossi on the damage done to children by adults; Ross Gelbspan on global warming; Kathy Kelly on the children of Iraq and Kristin Betts and a young man from the Simple Way Community in Philadelphia on the children of Philadelphia.

On December 28 the group occupied the Concourse entrance to the Pentagon. Jeff Winder and Steve Woolford poured their blood across the entrance to the building and Sue Frankel-Streit knelt there, exposing the blood-letting, her baby in her arms until the police took her away and her husband took the baby. Winder, Woolford, and Frankel-Streit were cited and released pending court dates March 3 (Woolford and Frankel-Streit) and 17 (Winder).

The following day, posters, songs, prayers and protest at the White House highlighted all that institution does to steal the earth from the children. Seven people were arrested as they knelt in the no-protest zone directly in front of the White House. They were cited and released to appear in court February 16.

Public witness concluded on December 30 when retreatants joined the Christian Peacemaker Teams during their week-long witness for a true Jubilee forgiveness of poor nations' debts at the International Monetary Fund. No arrests were reported.

Updating August arrests at the White House and Pentagon, all charges have been dismissed or were never filed, except for Felton Davis, on trial in Alexandria, Virginia on January 25.

For more information, contact Jonah House, 1301 Moreland, Baltimore, MD, 21216.