Photo by Deborah Sirotkin Butler 3/18/12 Severyn Bruyn, Richard Smith, and Ann Smith at the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade
I hope I age with the fire, grace and passion of Severyn Bruyn, the Veterans for Peace Member riding high in the convertible today.The Smedley D. Butler Brigade of the Veterans for Peace hosted and organized a Saint Patrick’s Day Peace Parade. When their request to march with the Allied War Veterans in the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was once again denied, the Smedley D. Butler Brigade pulled a permit, and reached out to other groups!
The William Ladd Chapter of Veterans for Peace came from Maine 
, New Hampshire’s Chapter, and the Colonel Jeffrey M. Luce Cape Cod Chapter of Veterans for peace marched to the music of the Leftist Marching Band
, with some family members carrying enlarged photos of their loved ones who had been lost to war, to honor their memories. The Military Survivors Family organization marched as well.
St. Patrick was a man of peace, and would probably not smile at the tanks bristling with guns marching in his name; but I hope the joy and life and music of the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade would make him smile! In fact, a stand in for Saint Patrick marched, chasing the “snakes” of racism, sexism, and greed away!
Occupy Boston, Occupy Holyoke, Occupy Quincy, and Occupy Everywhere answered the call as well. Colorful banners, Occupy drummers, and giant puppets marched in the bright sun.
Note: All of the photos taken by Deborah Sirotkin Butler, and in this photo I am also holding the “Occupy for Peace” Banner on behalf of Occupy Boston – I will gladly march for peace any time and YES I am really that short (almost as short as “Willow”) The Occupy Boston Signs Working Group sure knows how to paint a banner!
Those Occupy Boston Drummers are the best – keep a beat and a parade on the march!
The LGBT community marched, the group that most closely rivaled the Veterans for Peace in size. Their joy at being in the parade, together, and marching was a joy to behold. JoinTheImpactMA had a wonderful banner and decorated trolley.
Several churches marched in the Peace Parade as well. Among them were the Wellesley Friends Meeting Quakers, The Peace Abbey, and Theodore Parker Church of Roxbury.
More than a thousand marchers strode through the streets of Boston to joyful drummers and the playing of a brass band, with most bystanders making the peace sign and applauding.
I will gladly leave the tanks, the bristling guns, and the loud fusillades of the other St. Patrick’s Day Parade and march with a brass band, a drum corps, and the Veterans for Peace in the Saint Patrick’s peace Parade. Three cheers for the Smedley D. Butler Brigade of the Veterans for Peace – job well done! Ghandi, who made a cameo appearance from the Peace Abbey, would surely approve. Boston, obviously, can teach a thing or two to New York City.
Some of the religious contingent participants included: Community Church of Boston (UU), Dignity/Boston (Catholic), First Church of Somerville (UCC), First Parish in Bedford (UU), Friends Meeting at Cambridge, North Shore Friends Meeting, Old Cambridge Baptist Church, Pax Christi (Catholic), Peace Abbey (multi-faith), Theodore Parker Church of West Roxbury (UU), Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Andover, Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport, and Wellesley Friends Meeting. There were probably others, but these folks were definitely there!
It was a great display (thanks for the pics, amberpaw–and the cameracard offer).
Was talking to my local Ron Paul fanatic two days prior: they were giddy that their campaign was approved to participate in the no-peace-no-gay-talk parade. They make a big deal out of the support they receive from antiwar vets: why weren’t they marching with Veterans for Peace?
Conversely, the Jill Stein campaign–what, you haven’t heard?– is trumpeting the fact that they were only party repped in the peace parade. I counted 5 supporters.
Sure, this a report from the fringe. Easy enough to roll eyes at Paul and Stein. But it sure would be heartening if, someday, the politicians who yuck it up at the establishment breakfast would turn out with Veterans for Peace, the various church groups who showed, MassEquality, Occupy Peace, etc. Antiwar and equality ARE winning positions, no?