Washington, DC, September 26, 2006. Activists protesting the Iraq War in the Hart Senate Office Building. Photo: Ted Stein/Resistance Media

Even for these now veteran activist eyes, it was a glorious and inspiring sight to see.

On Tuesday, September 26, 2006, more than 100 nonviolent activists took over the central lobby and atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building, and staged a protest of the war in Iraq while dozens and dozens of Senate staffers looked on. For one hour, at least, American opposition to the war in Iraq became the central focus for these offices of the US Senate.

The action was organized by the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (formerly the Iraq Pledge of Resistance), as part of the week of anti-war actions around the country organized by the Declaration of Peace campaign.

The action started that morning with a rally and interfaith service at Upper Senate Park. At the end of the rally and service we formed a procession to go by the Capitol building and then on to the Senate office buildings. Police stopped us after three blocks, telling us that the large procession constituted an unpermitted demonstration and that we would not be allowed to continue. It was at this point that one affinity group broke away, and crossed police lines and Constitution Ave., carrying a coffin to the steps of the Capitol. Sixteen were arrested for that act of nonviolent witness.

The remaining 200 or so of us, however, were suddenly left without any police presence at all, since literally every one of the officers had followed the coffin. As our goal was to get to the officers of the US Senate, we decided to simply turn around and head back up Constitution Ave. to the Senate office buildings — which we did without incident until some of the police realized their mistake, came roaring back, and set up a line to stop us one block short of our ultimate goal.

A small group of us conducted negotiations with an officer of the Capitol Police for 15-20 minutes. We intended to proceed as a group, no matter what, and if they felt compelled to arrest us they would have to do it right there. After more negotiating, it was announced that if we left our large banners behind, we would be allowed to proceed as a group, enter the Hart Senate Office Building, and reassemble after passing through security. We had re-emphasized our commitment to nonviolence, and had patiently explained that our planned action in the Hart atrium would be a respectful, interfaith-led protest of the war in Iraq. The police explained that if we did that, we would likely be arrested inside the Hart building.

When this agreement was announced, it was immediately apparent how remarkable it was. The Capitol police would allow us to continue what they considered an unpermitted demonstration, and to enter a Senate office building — for the express purpose of carrying out another illegal demonstration.

While a number of us continued a protest outside, more than 100 of us entered the Hart building. With some of us reading the names of the dead and holding up peace signs on the balconies surrounding the lobby, others assembled in a large circle on the first floor for our nonviolent witness against the war. The balconies filled with onlookers until finally all seven stories, on all four sides, were lined with Senate staffers and visitors watching the protest. Several applauded and gave thumbs up. The protest also garnered the front page and a full inside page spread of the following day’s Roll Call newspaper, meaning that every office on Capitol Hill knew about it within 24 hours.

People will were peacefully arrested, and led away. They joined their colleagues from the previous arrests, and had a time of great community and fellowship during the several hours it took the police to process and release them all. The police officer in charge sought me out at the end to thank me, and stated plainly that they were glad they were able to help us accomplish what we wanted to do that day.

Relationships with police are a complicated and challenging matter for our movement, a source of often heated debate. And this particular police force in question had a somewhat different interpretation of our goal, believing we were there “to be arrested.” (While the nonviolent activist is willing to risk arrest and make other sacrifices, our goal is not to be arrested. We usually end up reminding the police of this, and inviting them to not arrest us the next time, but rather to join us.)

For a least one hour on a Tuesday in September, we brought the work of a Senate office building to a standstill, and made loud and clear our demand that the immoral, illegal, and unjust occupation of Iraq must end. If we can continue to ramp up our actions in this way, including the extremely important electoral work for this fall, we can and will compel members of Congress to heed our demand.