SOA Protestors Gather, Recollect

Last Sunday, several of the Oberlin students involved in the SOA protest three weeks earlier convened in Wilder 101 to discuss their experiences in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Junior Jackie Downing, one of the organizers of the protest, spoke first, talking about the overall success of the protest and her role on the SOA Watch steering committee. She arrived in Georgia several days before the vigil to meet with other SOA organizers. They discussed both the upcoming protest and the long-term goals of the organization. "Our goal is to open up our movement and be more democratic," she said.

Whereas in years past, SOA Watch leadership had been mostly older clergy members, this year, according to Downing, there were many more young people in leadership roles.

Several other Oberlin students spoke of their experiences at the protest. Sophomore Caitlin Gray, who crossed the SOA gates for the first time, said, "I'm still shocked by the experience. It was really overwhelming - in a positive way." Out of the 3800 protesters who entered the base, 2100 were apprehended and detained.

Military officials gave them a choice between walking off the base or being loaded onto busses to get "processed," but, said Gray, "There was an understanding that whether you walked off the base or decided to get processed that you weren't any more or less dedicated."