Grannies' Stories

Day Four, 11 Grannies arrested at Philadelphia Recruiting Station

The day began with everybody running late.The floods closed both sides of the Schulkill River rendering the alternate “Sure Kill” expressway a parking lot. My Philadelphia host, Norma and I took the train as planned, and found it packed and utterly workable - there is nothing like a captive train when you are wearing “We will not be silent.” * T-shirt and a Granny Peace Brigade Button. We had great conversations on board and were pleased when one of the Grannies (an Army Vet) posted to this site saying that she was ready to take action to end this immoral occupation.

At last, we arrived at the Suburban Station to find about 17 Grannies milling around, reading the First Amendment ala Reverend Billy at the World Trade Center Station. We wandered in pairs reading the text. Just a-mumbling around until we gathered in a group and recited these lines very loudly:

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.”

Then we walked away randomly and continued the recitation. With in minutes some Philadelphia Police Officers rolled over in the golf cart and told us this was “private property” and that we should not be doing this. Funny, in New York we usually have private guards in private places and police in public ones. So, we just kept on muttering and wandering until it was time for us to go to the Friend Meeting House to rally with our Philadelphia sisters.

The 11 women, many of whom we had gotten to know over the last few days, came to the Friends to list their reasons for undertaking their redress of grievance. Ruth B. wore a picture of her grandchildren around her neck. Among the 11 was a woman, age 92, in a wheel chair with her husband - the bailer out - pushing her along. She told me that she had gone to the Nevada proving ground in the 1950s to protest atomic war.

We were about 40 strong as we went to the Recruiting Station on Broad Street at 11:00 A.M.

We all wheeled and walked to the Recruiter’s with a bull horn, signs and high anticipation of what would be. The door was open, and so the 11 Grannies and our camera crew, a legal advisor from WILPF and local photographers, went in.

We were hardly idle outside. Speakers spoke, songs were sung, petitions circulated and hours passed. At one point, it looked like they would not be arrested and the NY Grannies considered using their Permit for Independence Hall, but at 4:00, hours after the authorities had given everybody 15 minutes to leave the station, it became evident that arrests would take place. About this time, a bus of very young school kids passed by giving us the “V” and lots of energy.

The action moved around the corner into the shade, near the side door and conveniently out of sight.

We hung our “Grandmothers Against the War” banner on the parking lot fence and proceeded to read the names of the Pennsylvania casualties. Another hour or so passed and there was speculation that the local news camera had been recalled and that the flooding would take precedent. (Surprised?)

After this many hours, it became very clear that the 40 of us were not going away, the first woman was escorted to the patient Police van at 5:30PM (too late for the 6 o’clock News.) Rumors circulated that they would go to one or another precinct but when they were finally confirmed and the witness group and the “bailer” took off after the 11 women.

Since 40 people don’t fit in a cab, we waited around until the trolley – the fare for which would be reduced for seniors - and followed our local guide Helen to the 16th precinct. There we entered the police station and could wave at the captives. That is, until too many of us arrived and the police said only spectators over 90 could stay in the air conditioned station. So, the “Bailer” and our Marie enjoyed the police version of the “culture of hospitality", while we waited on the steps.

At last they began to trickle out. Greeted by our applause and chant, “We stand with our Sisters. Troops home NOW.”

As they came out, the women said that their original court date was to be late in July but their arrest sheets showed that that the actual date was tomorrow at 9:30 AM; giving them no time to organize support. Another interesting was their paperwork: most of them were carelessly entered in the system. That is Black women were listed as White, White women listed as Black, Asian, Alaskan, and in one case Male. It looked like an opportunity to dismiss on technical grounds. But, nobody was going to do THAT after spending a day like this.

* Motto of the White Rose Society – a group of students during the 3rd Reich who set up a secret printing press to protest the Nazis.

Diane Dreyfus, M.S. Arch.