Raging Grannies Hold Anti-war Rally in Greenfield

The Daily Collegian - 4/4/07

The Raging Grannies, a local group advocating peace and government reform, staged a rally to support five members of the group who were arrested while protesting the war in Iraq yesterday.

The protest, which was held in front of the Greenfield District courthouse, included the Raging Grannies and two dozen of their supporters, many adorned with colorful signs, clothes and buttons, and used the power of words and song to protest the war in Iraq.

Singing homemade protest lyrics to melodies of traditional music, the Grannies focused mainly on criticizing President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq, and also sang about what their group is and why they protest.

"We're the Raging Grannies," they sang, "and we're here to make a stand against the raging killing in Afghanistan."

Linda Sarage, a Grannies supporter, said "the Raging Grannies is a wonderful outlet for the rage against a government not listening to its people and against Constitutional violation. People listen to the Grannies."

"The Raging Grannies are here to do anything we can to expose the lies of the Bush administration and to end this war," said Paki Wieland, another member of the group who was previously arrested. "Today's rally is one consequence of our act of civil disobedience [at the Army recruitment station]."

Ellen Graves, a former Vietnam protester and civil rights worker, says being part of the group helps her keep her sense of humor when dealing with such serious issues.

The arrests took place on Nov. 15, 2006 following a sit-in and protest at the Greenfield U.S. Army Recruiting station and charged the five Grannies with trespassing in a government building.

Just before 4 p.m. on Nov. 15, members of the Raging Grannies entered the station with a basket of oatmeal raisin cookies and voiced their opinions on the war in Iraq, Sgt. First Class Stanley Farley said.

Wieland said they went to station because, "we believe the recruiter's job is to fill the ranks of soldiers who are being sent to Iraq to kill and be killed for war profiteering, not for any noble cause."

When asked to leave, the Grannies refused and eventually surrounded the recruiting station, Farley said.

"They were very polite, but we were still conducting business. After asking them to leave twice, we called the Greenfield police and closed the office for the day. When the Greenfield police got here, they still refused to leave and were arrested," said Farley.

The Raging Grannies were found not guilty of the charges at the Greenfield District courthouse yesterday, Wieland said.

"I believe this is a victory for justice," Wieland said of the sentence. "It was a necessity to trespass and protest a greater evil, the War."