Well over a hundred people gathered outside House
Speaker Dennis Hastert's Congressional office in Batavia, IL, from 11-1pm on
Thursday, Sept. 26th. There was singing, banners, signs and speakers from
many peace organizations. These organizations included the DuPage Peace
through Justice Coalition, thd DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace, Fox Valley
Friends for Peace, Pax Christi DuPage/Illinois, the Joliet Diocese Peace &
Justice Office, Sisters of St. Joseph- Lagrange IL, Christian Peacemaker Teams,
American Friends Service Committee, Voices in the Wilderness and
more.
About an hour into the outdoor rally, each of
the nine 'sit in' particpants came to the microphone one by one and
made a brief statement. All gathered sang a song and then the
nine proceeded into Speaker Hasterts office. Several press persons followed
into the office as well. While gathering in the main office, a Hastert
staff member indicated that the group could have no meeting with staff
while press members were present. After some deliberation, the nine,
joined by a representative of AFSC and Voices in the
Wilderness proceeded with 2 Hastert staff into the inner office.
Each made brief, moving personal statements of why they were there.
Then a statement, signed by all nine participants, was presented to
the staff members.
It stated that all participants are opposed to
going to war in Iraq. It called for a committment from Speaker Hastert,
that he postpone the vote to authorize use of force against Iraq until after the
congressional vote, which begins next Friday Oct.4th. It stated that
all signed participants were prepared to maintain their vigil and presence in
the office until a statement of such committment was issued by Mr.
Hastert. The group then proceeded to Hastert's outer office where they
began their 'sit-in' presence. Many gathered at the front, full length
window of the office under a large American flag and began to sing: We
shall overcome, Oh Healing River, Dona Nobis Pacem. They were
notified that if they continued singing they would not be permitted to
stay. The group shifted to kneeling positions and continued their
songs. Police arrived within ten minutes. The singing continued
while the first three members were carried out. The rest
joined arms and continued singing We Shall Overcome and Oh Healing
River. The last group of four locked arms and legs together is a
solid resisting position and continued their song. After some time, each
remaining participant, one by one, was forcibly pried apart, fingers, arms and
hands, singing all the while, then carried bodily from the
office.
They were placed in the front foyer while the outer
door was kept locked by police, expecting to be held until removal for
processing. After some deliberation among congressional staff, city of
Batavia mayors office and police, the group was bodily removed from
the foyer to just outside the front door of the building. There they
continued ins song, prayer and reflection with a small group of supporters who
had maintained the vigil outside the office.
The sit-in participants were: Cele Meyer, a 79 year
old grandmother from DeKalb, a member of the DeKalb interfaith Network for
Peace; David Meade, and 80 year old grandfather and peace activist from Western
Springs, a member fo DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition and Fellowship of
Reconciliation; Sister Pat Bergen of the Sisters of St. Joseph in LaGrange,
member of Pax Christi Illinois; Dave Martin, father of four, from Lombard,
member of DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition, Fellowship of Reconcilliation,
Pax Christi DuPage/IL; Scott Kerr of Downers Grove, full-time Christian
Peacemaker Teams member on break from a two year committment in Colombia; Garth
Liebhaber, graduate of NIU in DeKalb, photographer and founder of the weekly
DeKalb peace vigil started just after 9-11, Kim Dubose, originally from South
Carolina, now a graduate student in political science at NIU, DeKalb; Ann-Louise
Haak, United Church of Chist pastoral worker and graduate student at Chicago
Theological Union; and Cindy Petruzelli, concerned peacemaker and mother of
three from DeKalb.