Jackie Downing's Letter to Oberlin SOA Watch Supporters
	Students, Arrested, Return from SOA Protest		On Sunday [November 21, 1999], some 4400 "Crossed the Line" onto Ft. Benning in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the training of Latin American military elite done by the SOA with our tax dollars. About 60 of us, dressed in black robes and white "death masks," and carrying coffins to represent victims of SOA violence led the procession onto the base. When we were 15 feet away from the military police, we stopped, dropped our coffins, pulled out red paint, covered ourselves in "blood," and became the lifeless bodies that belonged in those coffins. I carried an infant-sized coffin, and as I marched onto the base, I thought of the thousands of children that could have been in such coffins. The police took some people to waiting buses and escorted them off the base. Those of us who would not move lay on the ground for about a half an hour. We then moved to the grass so that the procession could continue. We continued to lay dead while the police escorted (or dragged) hundreds of protesters of all ages and places onto the buses. After two hours, we rose, took our coffins, and marched again. The thousands on the base parted and we walked between them. They cheered us on through their tears. When we got to the front of the procession, we covered the road again. This time the military police were forced to deal with us. My heart was beating so fast as they dragged me by my arms onto the bus. I kept my eyes closed the whole time and stayed completely limp as I told myself over and over "I am dead, I am dead." As they dragged us onto their buses, the thousands behind us chanted 'Shame! Shame!' and "Justice! Justice!" I cheered through sobs once I was on the bus. It was so powerful. We were driven miles onto the base to a processing center. We had our fingerprints and mug shots taken. Those of us who were being arrested for the first time at Ft. Benning were given letters barring us from the base for five years. Those who had received these letters two years ago were told that they will be notified by mail when to appear in court. If they do go, they will be facing six months in federal prison and $5000 fines. If I cross again next year, I will face the same. Some protesters stayed on the base, resisting the police, into the evening. I have not learned yet what happened to them. We got a ton of press, one of the main goals of the weekend. Though the New York Timeswrote a very biased story, papers in Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio gave great coverage and wrote fair stories. We Obies looked great in our matching t-shirts and with all our posters and banners. The speech I made at the press conference was well received, despite how nervous I was. It was an intense and powerful weekend. It is always hard to come back to the grind after feeling that power. I am looking forward to some recuperation time over Thanks-giving break. I hope you are well. Peace be the journey. Jackie D.
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