Poverty Is Not an Accident

Poverty Is Not an Accident
Nelson Mandela

Monday, November 21, 2011

the night we invaded Iraq

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The night we invaded Iraq, I went to the university for a protest. As I walked thru the neighborhood, I saw DOZENS of cop cars from EVERYWHERE, all colors, kinds...some federal, some unidentifiable. we met outside the book store, which is a semicircular space. Cops came from all directions, some on horseback, some on atvs, some on scooters and motorcycles. they closed us in to that concrete semicircle and pelted us with tear gas bombs. WHOLE FAMILIES were there: babies, little kids, old people. NOBODY could escape. We weren't doing anything wrong! Fortunately, there was a light rain. I had stood against a wall, close to the edge of the crescent, so I could brace myself btw the wall and a handrail; I was very fatigued, it was cold and it was raining. I had several layers of clothes, under a rain poncho. When the cops backed off from the clouds of tear gas, I began stripping off my clothes, under the poncho, dipping them in puddles and squeezing the water into people's eyes. After it was over, we convened at the "peace and justice" sic center. I reamed them a new one: NO SECURITY NO MEDICS. They hadn't prioritized vulnerable people in the group and a small band of renegades had run out to sit down in the street, Central Ave., old Route 66, without warning us they were going to do it. NO TEAR GAS KITS, NO FIRST AID! So, the "liberal" community of Albuquerque shunned me, from that day forward. 

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