"…My intent in going there was to save lives. A person may
break the law to save lives." - Tom Lewis, quoted in Daniel
Berrigan's
The Trial of the Catonsville 9
On Saturday May 17, anti-war activists gathered in Maryland to mark
the 40th Anniversary of the Catonsville draft card burning action,
and to remember
Tom Lewis, one of the
"Catonsville 9," who died on April 4 of this year. Read more below
and
watch the video
here
Watch the video
here
In commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the Catonsville 9
action, anti-war activists from across the mid-Atlantic states
converged in Maryland on Saturday to protest at the Andrews Air
Force Base Air Show. After being turned away due to their
political" shirts, several dozen protesters held banners and played
frisbee that read "War is Not A Game!" outside the Fed Ex Center
where carloads of families and aficionados were gathering to
park.
The anti-game was part of a month of public education and action in
remembrance of the burning of draft cards undertaken by 9 Catholic
peace activists, including two priests, on May 17, 1968. The
"Catonsville 9" trial broke through the public consciousness and
became a touchstone of anti-war sentiment for a generation.
After the protest, the group gathered at the Viva Catholic Worker
Community for a memorial service for one of the 9, Thomas Patrick
Lewis, who died on April 4. During his life, Lewis participated in
many acts of civil disobedience against the Vietnam War, the
nuclear arms race, and the current US War in Iraq. Lewis's
commitment to justice and peace also flowed out of his love and
art.
More on Tom: Read Obituary:
Tom Lewis: An
Artist-Activist by Scott Schaeffer-Duffy |
Photo Gallery | | |
More on the Catonsville 9: Schedule of
Events from Jonah House |
"Fire & Faith": The Catonsville
Nine File