Sunday, September 16, 2007

Beach Impeach: a view from within the "M"



For an overview of about 1000 people spelling out
IMPEACH!
REASON:
TREASON!

with our bodies at Crissy Field yesterday, watch the YouTube. Here are a few shots from the Beach Impeach:


The sloops of the boating class raced on San Francisco Bay...


..while on land, folks began to straggle in. The night before, organizer Brad Newsham had about 650 sign-ups, but he projected an enthusiastic faith that enough folks would show to make the project work. Would be he right?




Here Brad instructs his "letter captains." Code Pink occupied the "C" in "IMPEACH!"


"H" leader recruits people arriving to his letter.


We spread ourselves out between yellow ropes spelling out the letters.


Meanwhile Alan Barnett of the Marin Peace and Justice Coalition hawked bumper stickers galore!


Groups settled on their places.


Even the many dogs were mostly peaceful.


This one enjoyed a good scratch.


Within an hour, there was nothing more to do but wait for the helicopters that would record our event. And get sunburned.


Finally the helicopter Brad had rented as well as a news chopper buzzed overhead!

We did our moves; those of us who formed the bottom of the "M" during "IMPEACH!" trotted all the way down the field to become the "N" in "REASON:" and "TREASON!"

We ended the day with a series of "waves" passed back and forth across the "letters."






And Brad Newsham was one happy anarchist-artist-cab driver on his 56th birthday!
***
Is the Beach Impeach, in the late novelist Kurt Vonnegut's categorization, a a karass (a meaningful community) or a granfalloon (a meaningless assembly of persons with no real bond)? Time and the staying power of the movement for peace and justice will tell. Meanwhile, a lot of sometimes frustrated activists had a good time making our statement yesterday and that has to do some good in hard times.
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7 comments:

  1. June ButlerSunday, September 16, 2007 1:26:00 PM

    Whatever it was, I wish I could have been there, Jan. I feel like I want to do something, even if it doesn't do much good.

    OT, when I left my comment at EC, I did not read the fine print, so I did not know it was you I was agreeing with. Anyway, we agree.

    Thanks for the pics of the event.

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  2. MeSunday, September 16, 2007 5:42:00 PM

    Too cool!

    Love the pixs.

    :)

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  3. MeSunday, September 16, 2007 5:49:00 PM

    The comment by Hill was me.

    :)

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  4. Civic CenterSunday, September 16, 2007 8:36:00 PM

    Thanks for getting there and documenting the afternoon with some very pretty photos. As for the event's effectiveness, we never really know when we throw a stone in the water how big the ripples are going to be or how they will change as they go outwards.

    The event looks like a complete success just as an antidote to doing nothing while horrors are inflicted on the world at large by the consortium of criminals in charge of our country. Plus, being part of a community effort while outdoors on a beautiful day can hardly be beat.

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  5. janinsanfranSunday, September 16, 2007 8:50:00 PM

    This event really was a blast. We need that.

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  6. NellWednesday, September 19, 2007 9:07:00 AM

    Thanks for the beautiful pics; I needed that. Love the shot of the water at the end of the video, too.

    It's important to have fun during a long grinding struggle. I'm reminded me of a Central America demo in 1988 or '89 (at the same location as the impeach art? very similar if not). A group of women did a chant with appropriate body accompaniment: "U - S - Butt Out!

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  7. AnonymousSaturday, September 29, 2007 7:29:00 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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