On November 23, 2008, twelve thousand demonstrators converged on Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to demand the close of the School of the Americas, a military training school recently renamed WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) . People of all age ranges walked the long block to the Fort Benning gates carrying crosses with the names of the victims of former graduates of the school. “SOA graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution (www.soaw.org/).”

Sunday demonstrators gathered to honor the victims of the school. Volunteers sung the names of the dead for over two hours while attendees responded with raised crosses and a resounding “presente” which means present in Spanish. Symbolically the dead where brought, through the lives and voices of others, to the gates of the military training school responsible for educating their murderers.

The singing of the names seemed to go on forever. Whole families were read. JESUS CLAROS, 5, daughter of Antolina Claros Then towards the end of the list came the ages and death location of unnamed victims released into the air. So many names were read one could not help but long to hear the name reading stop. The last death made present at the vigil was the death of an unnamed four year old.

While the reading of these names took several hours it would take a much longer time to read all the names of those executed by graduates of the School of the Americas (WHINSEC). It would take even longer to read the names of all the living torture victims and still longer to read the names of family members and friends affected by the crimes of this school.

Many demonstrators called for the closing of the school in hopes that not another name be added to the list of deaths or School of the Americas (WHINSEC) graduates. During the process of the vigil each cross bearing the names of a victim was inserted in the fence at the gate of the school. Having heard the names of so many children, one could not help but imagine their little hands placing the crosses in the lower fence rungs.

Following the sad procession large puppets came out to demonstrate the metaphorical dismantling of the school and infuse the demonstration with a sense of hope. Images representing people power, worker power, trees and plants all came to help take down a monster representing the school. Once the school was symbolically defeated the dancing in the streets began.

Within the confines of the formal demonstration area attendees danced with puppets and eventually moved out into the streets. Hundreds of peopled poured onto the highway in Columbus, Georgia dancing, singing and shouting “Si Se Puede” - “yes we can”. This was a response to earlier questions of can we close down the School of the America’s.

The SOA has been known to claim that it’s purpose is to educate people about democracy and the energy was palpable as marchers in the street began chanting “Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like.”

With spontaneous movement into the streets it seemed the intent was not to be arrested. Choppers circled overhead presumably armed and monitoring the peaceful protest, while more police closed in along side the marchers and diverted them to a less visible side street. Some of the chanters changed their song to “Whose streets? Our Streets!” but followed the police directions nonetheless.

As the dancers returned to the designated demonstration area one of the attendees reminded the crowd that if hundreds of people cross the fence together the courts and “justice” system could not possibly convict all of them.

Perhaps next year demonstrators will test this theory. Even a fraction of the twelve thousand people in attendance would likely be enough to overflow the jails of Columbus.

Last year eleven demonstrators crossing the fence got anywhere from three to six months in federal prison. This year six crossed early in the morning before the vigil.

School of the America’s Watch is in the midst of a campaign petitioning President Elect Barrack Obama to close the school. However, if he does not issue an executive order perhaps you will find yourself answering, “Si Se Puede” to the question can we close the school of the Americas. Maybe you will add yourself to the numbers of those dancing in the streets or climbing the fence along with the voiced names of the dead.

Next year the vigil to close the SOA will take place around the same time in Columbus (November 21, 22, 23). If you need more time to plan ahead in 2010 there are plans to bring the spirits and protest to Washington, D.C. Check out www.soaw.org.

A people united will never be defeated. El pueblo unido jamás será vencido