During out time at Camp Casey III we heard many messages. Here I have shared what I heard and learned.
Reverend Yearwood of the “The Rev” – shared this amazing story during Saturday’s program about how he became associated with Cindy Sheehan:
Continue reading
Each Evening at Camp Casey there is a program, period of reflection, and vigil.
Saturday, August 19
Zacharay, Program Coordinator for Camp Casey
Continue reading
Tom and I participated in some workshops that were offered while we were at Camp Casey. We couldn’t attend all of them, but here are some that we did:
Counter-Recruitment
We were interested in this because we are engaged in counter-recruitment here in Utah and want our campaign to become more active with the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah which has a section on its website with its position on military recruitment in schools, along with opt-out forms for parents to request exemption from the military recruitment clause in the No Child Left Behind Act.
Continue reading
Almost the entire camp drove the two hour drive to Austin on Saturday afernoon, August 19, to attempt to do a Citizen’s arrest of Karl Rove in Austin, TX, where he was speaking to the Texas Republican Party. Tom and I volunteered to stay behind at camp, along with several others, to help with security and other items needing attention at camp while the rest of the camp went to the protest.
The Austin “Pink Police” showed up wtih folks from Camp Casey at the hotel where the event was being held. Several women booked rooms in the hotel. Cindy Sheehan read the list of charges against Rove and demanded that the police do a “citizen’s arrest” of him. A “stand-off” was engaged and when the protesting group finally decided to leave, Cindy Sheehan’s spokeswoman asked of the Austin Police: “So why won’t you go in and do a citizen’s arrest?” The police decided they had had enough of this, threw her to the ground, handcuffed her, and hauled her off to jail. She was ultimately charged with criminal trespass (even though she had booked a room and had a key) and “participating in a riot”. RIOT???
Sheehan, supporters protest at Rove event
AUSTIN — Chanting “Try Rove for treason,” Cindy Sheehan and more than 50 other war protesters ambushed a reception before President Bush’s top adviser Karl Rove spoke at a fund-raiser Saturday.
One woman was arrested during a scuffle with police after Sheehan and the anti-war demonstrators rushed toward the closed doors and kept chanting loudly after the guests went into the dinner.
Rove was speaking to the Associated Republicans of Texas, and ticket prices started at $200. He was not in the Renaissance Hotel lobby during the reception.
“I want him arrested. He planned the war that killed my son,” Sheehan told officers guarding the door. Sheehan’s oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in 2004.
Police then ordered the group to leave, but some protesters had paid for rooms for the night. Those protesters went upstairs, including Sheehan.
Earlier, wearing shorts and T-shirts while guests of the lobby reception walked past in sequined dresses and expensive suits, anti-war demonstrators carried American flags and signs, including one that read “Check your conscience.” A few protesters unfurled a large banner from a sixth-floor hotel balcony that read “Rove v. Truth: No Contest. Pink slip Rove.”
Those at the reception sipped their drinks and largely ignored the protesters before they started chanting. One man looked at the group and said, “Go Bush!”
Earlier Saturday, the group of more than 70 gathered at the hotel entrance, carrying a large banner that read, “Rove: Guilty of crimes against humanity.” Former U.S. Diplomat Ann Wright, who resigned in 2003 in protest over the war, yelled through a bullhorn, “Karl Rove, you are a criminal!”
After about 30 minutes, Austin police made them move onto grass at the edge of the property about a block away. Dozens remained later Saturday, holding signs as cars drove by, honking their horns.
Sheehan and the group left their campsite in Crawford near Bush’s ranch, where they have held vigil the past two weeks, and drove about 100 miles south to Austin.
The war protest will continue until early September, although Bush’s 10-day ranch vacation ended last weekend. Sheehan’s 26-day protest last August drew more than 10,000 people to her campsite in ditches off the rural road leading to the ranch, but she recently bought land near downtown for the group to camp on.
Tom and I volunteered for most of our time at Camp Casey. Tom helped a little with the garden that Midge is maintaining. Tom also did quite a bit of electrical work to help in the development of infrastructure at the camp and helped with lighting ventilation around the stage area. We both continually picked up trash from around the camp. We both also did security gate detail every day and on Sunday morning we helped erect crosses in the Memorial Garden. the crosses represent the soldiers killed in the Iraq War.
Below are photos of volunteer work in action. More photos of the gardens will be posted later.
Tom King of Utah, helps put electricity in at the camp.
“Midge” helps keep the pink garden alive.
Continue reading
We all know that it’s the people. And if it weren’t, things wouldn’t happen like Camp Casey. Here are some photos of some of the wonderful folks behind the operation of Camp Casey. We made connections and bonds that will last.
(Note: This is not inclusive of everyone we met and who volunteer. This includes the photos we were able to get.)
Above: Cindy Sheehan, founder of Camp Casey, speaks to us after the Karl Rove Action on Saturday, August 19th.
Continue reading
The Crawford Peace House The Crawford Peace House was founded in 2003, as the war was getting started. It has been the host, sponsor or coordinator of many events and actions prior to when Cindy Sheehan came to town. It was co-founded by Johnny Wolf and Hadi Jawad.
The Peace House is a place where folks can gather and organize. There is also a labyrinth and meditative back yard with garden space. Folks at the Peace House provide meals for Camp Casey. The Crawford Peace House is a wonderful place – please visit it when you are in Crawford.
Above is Michael, a supporter and volunteer at the Crawford Peace House.
Continue reading
My experience at Camp Casey last weekend is hard to put into words. I will be posting photos later today and an account of my experiences there. Tom and I have decided to go to Camp Democracy for a few days next month in DC (which Camp Casey transforms into for September).
One thing that Cindy Sheehan said to us all while we were there is that while it is great and wonderful to be at Camp Casey, we need to take Camp Casey with us to our homes. She encouraged us to “take some of Camp Casey home” with us – dirt, rocks, etc. – and spread it all over the world.
We have done just that. We brought home with us a rock as a concrete reminder of our experiences there so that we will spread the energy, knowledge, and wealth of exepereince within our community here in Utah.
Here are the welcome signs in Crawford:
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 