Vigils in November 2019

[Brian]

Although Daylight Saving Time doesn't end until Sunday, Anni brought her bag of candles to this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.  Their light was visible when I arrived at the corner at 6:10 p.m.  They will stretch along the curb in front of us demonstrators until March -- and hopefully illuminate the drivers making the wide right turn from Ocean View Boulevard to westbound Honolulu Avenue.  Somehow, we've never seen an accident in our nearly 14 years standing there for 90 minutes every Friday, but we've witnessed lots of bad behavior by drivers and pedestrians and some close calls.

Nine regulars came to the corner this week, the fewest number of participants since last April.

Since October 2011, we have displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, sailors and airmen in our many unconstitutional wars during the vigils. Anni taped a printout of Wednesday's Pentagon news release, which is linked below, on the utility pole.  The Army Times ran this photo of the small arms and artillery repair non-commissioned officer who died in a "non-combat related incident at Camp Taji, Iraq."

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2002871/dod-identifies-army-casualty/

Sgt. Nathaneil G. Irish

[Brian]

Foot and wheel traffic was brisk during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, with the temperature still in the 80's after dark.  Fourteen regulars came to the corner this week.

In the previous seven days, the Department of Defense reported no military deaths in Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria or in any of the other U.S. operations underway around the world.

Today -- Saturday, November 9 -- the stalwarts of the vigil in Eagle Rock will mark their 17th anniversary. Yes, they were out there right after Congress' authorization of a U.S. invasion of Iraq, and they'll be on the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevards today from 3:30 to 5 p.m. -- in the daylight, when your signs can be seen, so unlike us in Montrose.  Three Montrose Peace Vigil regulars plan to be there. Here's the link to a great little piece on Indymedia about the Eagle Rock vigil's anniversary two years ago:

la.indymedia.org/news/2017/11/296057.php

[Sharon W]

We got to the corner at 5:27 pm! Jim, Roberta, Jeanne, Bruce, Commissioner Mike in a Tulsi T shirt, Nancy, John & Justeen and Franny joined us as the vigil progressed for a total of 11 participants. Katherine played and the CVHS AF JROTC sold baked goods. Many positive interactions with passers by in vehicles and on foot. A Trump supporter yelled "Impeach for what?" and Bill just started chanting back "Lock him up". Fun night. We missed Brian & Anni and hoped they are having a wonderful time!

[Brian]

Thank you, Sharon, for that excellent report on this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil -- and for keeping the weekly census intact.  I can't remember the last vigil I missed, but it's been years.

The only thing I can add is that the Pentagon announced no military deaths in the previous seven days.

Anyway, Chuck was wonderful at McCabe's, one of Sharon and Bill's favorite venues.  I'll post a review and the set list in the More Chuck Prophet thread on this message board soon.

[Brian]

All of the trees at the intersection of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue are wrapped with thousands of white lights for the holidays, but the bulbs on the northwest corner were off during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. We lit candles. Despite the darkness and light traffic, Jim's American flag and big IMPEACH sign garnered lots of honks and shouts from the passing vehicles.

Thirteen regulars came to the vigil.

Two soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Wednesday -- Anni posted a printout of the news release:

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2022455/dod-identifies-army-casualties/

[Brian]

The day after Thanksgiving is always one of the lightest days for vehicular traffic on Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose.  Good thing -- that's when the city closes one block of Honolulu to vehicles on the other side of the intersection from Montrose Peace Vigil's corner to conduct the shopping park association's Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  Last year, hundreds of people gathered in the next block to hang out with Santa Claus and sing carols.  This year, the crowd was much smaller, probably because of the unusually cold weather.  All of the tree trunks were lit with strands of little clear bulbs, and the eight foot nutcracker statue and its lights returned to the main patch of grass that we occupy. We'll post photos in December's vigil thread.

Friday marked our 14th consecutive Montrose Peace Vigil on the day after Thanksgiving.  Attendance this week was above average overall and solid from the beginning, with six participants arriving at the corner in the first five minutes:

• Nov. 1 - 9
• Nov. 8 - 14
• Nov. 15 - 11
• Nov. 22 - 13
• Nov. 29 - 14

The weekly average for November rounds down to 12 participants, after averaging 13 in October, 12 in September, August and July, 14 in June and May, 11 in April and 12 each month in March, February, January 2019 and December 2018. We averaged 13 weekly demonstrators last November.

No U.S. military deaths were announced by the Pentagon in the previous seven days.