Los Angeles
Thursday, June 26 – four of us converged
at one end of the Santa Monica Third St. Promenade in front of a bookstore.
We began to lead one person in an orange jumpsuit and hood with a rope,
very slowly through the promenade. One of us was dressed up in
an orange rain poncho that evokes the image of Abu G’Hraib. Two others
wore long orange capes stenciled with a Guantanamo image and the words
No Torture. We did not speak to anyone, but just walked very slowly
and talked to each other softly and window shopped, as if it were just
a usual day at the mall. Some people would stop and just stare. Others
called out “What religion are you?” “Hang Bush!” “We hate Bush!” “Don’t you know you”re wasting your
time?”
As we got midpoint into the block, we
realized that a small group of youth had been following us when they
came up to us with spirited high fives. They shouted “We just want
you to know we think what you are doing is great! We”ve been following
you! This is awesome!” They took up some fist posters,
an orange Iraq-Get out! Iran-Stay Out! Poster , and a burning
globe poster, gave a donation, signed up on our contact sheet, and joined
us, holding posters high. They knew a good spot where we should
“freeze”, so we slowly walked there, and at a signal, we all froze
in different poses, in somewhat of a circle. People began gathering
around, taking pictures and asking us what we were doing, but we did
not respond (because we were statues!) We stayed that way for
five minutes and then broke out into animated chants. . “There’s
a killer in the white house! Time to drive his ass out!”
“Take a stand and shout! Torturers..Get out!”. It was really
loud and rhythmic. Fists were raised high. A few young people
on the edges began to dance and chant with us “Impeach the Bush
regime! Indict the Bush regime! Lock up the Bush regime!”
Afterwards, we slowly walked back to
where we had started, took off our outfits and scattered home in rush
hour traffic.
We plan to do this again with more people.
Maybe we will add some drums to underline the spontaneous street dance
nature of it.