DIRECT ACTION SWEEPS ARIZONA AS ITS CITIZENS SAY NO TO WAR

Resistance to the war continues stronger than ever throughout Arizona - despite corporate media's blackout of coverage - as activists are stopping business as usual with their bodies, locking down to intersections and refusing to obey the state apparatus. Direct action occurred in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Tucson while the Phoenix area has seen protest activity nearly every day since the start of the war.

In Flagstaff, twenty-one people blocked Route 66, Flagstaff's main thoroughfare, during a peace march with arm locked until police could arrest them. The original group of people planning to get arrested grew as other protesters were join the lock-down by sitting in the road. [/ 1 | 2 ] [ 1 | 2 ] Police reportedly remained calm, and some of those arrested went limp in passive resistance. A banner was also hung from an overpass.

In Prescott where civil disobedience is rare, seven people blocked the downtown intersection while laying their bodies down and were dragged away. [ 1 ] They were supported by a few hundred drumming, chanting, and performing guerilla theater. While in jail, critical mass riders circled the courthouse - all arrestees were released close to midnight, greeted with hot tea by a jail solidarity rally.

The Phoenix area saw a number of actions. Thursday evening, around 300-500 people gathered at Mill and University in Tempe in a demonstration where a few flags were destroyed. A small but vocal counter-demonstration disrupted the event, and with one minor exception, local media coverage was nonexistent. At the same time, about 200 people showed up at Central and McDowell - a few aggressive counter-demonstrators made their presence felt here as well [ 1 | 2 ]. On Saturday the 22nd, an emergency 48-hour vigil was held at Camelback and 24th St., continuing through Monday.

In Tucson on Wednesday night a vigil was held at a local mosque, and women wailed at the federal building in the evening. On Thursday, actions began in the wee hours of the morning - several banners were hung from the snake bridge on Broadway by unknown affinity groups and/or individuals. An early mourning procession was disrupted by a hit-and-run driver, and afternoon actions at the federal building, which included seven arrests, were held in the face of excessive police presence which diverted traffic for four city blocks [ 1 | 2 ]. Aggressive marines disrupted the vigil, which was held late into the night. The massive police presence was a prelude to proposed measures which threaten to dramatically reduce the ability of Tucsonans to peaceably assemble. On Sunday morning, the A on "A" Mountain was painted black.

Protesting the lack of coverage from corporate media conglomerates are also being organized locally and nationally. [ KVOA | Clear Channel | WarTools ]

From Flagstaff to Tucson: banner hangs, public art, vigils, marches, and protests. In an openly racist state (immigration policy, mandatory English) maintained by fear (violent police, conservative media, marines) - peace activists are showing that they will not be intimidated or ignored until the imperialist war is over and Bush is impeached.