In Defense of Cacophony

March 20th, the day after the United States began to drop bombs on the Iraqi people, San Francisco was the stage for widespread creative dissent to an illegal and unjustifiable war. A nascent, loosely-knit pro-peace movement in this city and across the world burst onto the scene with a cacophony of voices and tactics that mirror the living, thriving human ecosystems we inhabit.

That day crystallized the willingness of hundreds of thousands to stand with the global majority in opposing this war. The reasons for people's actions are not monolithic, just as the tactics are not. Like an ecosystem, this movement's strength lies in the symbiotic exchange and interweaving of diverse voices raised to inscribe a new cultural narrative upon the American consciousness.

Wandering around San Francisco on the first day of the war, I was exhilarated, moved, and occasionally both tearful and frightened. While there were low points in the day, the overwhelming feeling was one of awe and wonderment at the colors and sounds and smells of resistance.

On one corner, 40 "yogis for peace" silently exhibited perfect yoga positions in front of a line of riot police. Down the street, Tibetan prayers flags flew as I saw a father answer his son's boisterous call to occupy the intersection. At the Federal Building, when the late afternoon winds blew in and the sun ceased to shine on the alley, shivering protestors blocking the doors were infused with new energy by an impromptu dance party when a sound system arrived on a bicycle. There was no knowing what was around the next corner, but whatever it was it was sure to delight the senses and highlight the lengths people were willing to go to oppose the death occurring at that moment in our name. Who were all of these people and where did they come from?

The nonviolent grassroots uprising that occurred in San Francisco in the last two weeks was purely organic. Mix the right ingredients and the outcome is sure to be even more impressive than predicted. This is the model that Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW) counts upon. DASW is not an organization. There is no paid staff, no office, no elected leaders. There is only one requirement for participation -- you must act in accordance with your conscience in opposing this war.

The organizing and the meetings were open and transparent. The goal was clearly articulated: If the government of the United States chose to drop bombs on Iraq, we as citizens of San Francisco and the surrounding cities would unplug the war machine by paralyzing traffic where the government and corporations operate. The DASW network served to set a stage where each individual had the opportunity to cast himself or herself in the unfolding drama dedicated to celebrating life.

2,600 people were arrested in the subsequent 48 hours. Many of them had never protested anything before in their lives. Among the incredible pulsing diversity in the streets, we found common ground in defining positively our collective identity.

We are for the troops coming home safely and we are for stopping the killing of innocent men, women and children. We are people who work each day for positive change in our communities and our world. We are teachers, artists, nurses, business people, students, activists, parents and clergymen and women. Like any functioning ecosystem, this diversity is our strength and among it live the solutions that are necessary for global sustainability.

By listening and talking to people on that day, I gathered more strands of an alternative story -- one that challenges the prevailing narrative playing on CNN and Fox News Tonight, and that speaks of an end to war in communities and abroad. The resistance in the streets in essence creates a future where individuals in communities know each other and work together toward this goal.