One of the most intense experiences I have ever had at a protest was sitting with hundreds of other Occupy Oakland activists at the General Assembly following a march protesting the brutal police crackdown on Oscar Grant Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall on November 14, 2011. As news helicopters buzzed overhead, and police helicopters beamed their search lights down on the crowd that had assembled in the plaza, I came to realize just how threatening the 1% and their enablers consider our movement’s goals of economic justice, accountability, and an end to the war economy.  I remembered that peaceful encampment I had visited several times in Oscar Grant Plaza, where members of the 99% came together and amplified the truth about the circumstances so many of us face in our lives:  we are neither alone nor powerless in the face of injustice. The fact that so many of us came to speak this truth by learning from each other is precisely what the 1% finds so incredibly threatening to the power and privilege that they guard so jealously and so violently.

I am alarmed at how sharp the contrast is between what I saw, heard, and felt first-hand, and the frightening picture of Occupy Oakland, and the Occupy movement more generally, that the mainstream media has created: its emphasis on broadcasting riot footage, along with the disproportionate amount of attention given to the opinions of the police and other enablers of the 1%, including Mayor Jean Quan’s laughable attempt to call the “national leaders of the Occupy movement” to request that they disavow Occupy Oakland. Contrast this with a maximum of only one or two short sound bites per mainstream news story from Occupy Oakland activists themselves. For example, the mainstream media has focused a lot of attention on a group of Occupy Oakland protesters who broke into Oakland City Hall on January 28, 2012, and burned an American flag. Obviously, I can’t prove my hunch that the protesters who were shown doing this were outside provocateurs, hired by enablers of the 1% in a deliberate attempt to smear Occupy Oakland. At the same time, these actions are strikingly similar to those I’ve seen depicted in American right-wing fear-mongering rhetoric about flag-burning.

Despite my anger at the poor media coverage of Occupy Oakland, I need to point out that these highly problematic news stories are not the only factor limiting the involvement of many members of the 99% in the Occupy movement. To engage in Occupy Oakland protest marches and actions these days carries a very real risk of arrest and/or bodily harm. The police brutality we’ve seen at Occupy Oakland is not aimed only at those who are physically present at protest marches and other direct actions; it is a direct threat to anyone who wishes to become involved in the movement. Police tactics such as kettling, or issuing a dispersal order without allowing protesters the ability to escape arrest, are highly effective and sinister bullying tactics. It breaks my heart to know that my fear of being arrested, while not unrealistic, is nevertheless exactly what the 1% and their enablers want me to feel.  It breaks my heart that the very nature of my own personal situation—I am currently unemployed and I would not want an arrest record to prevent me from getting a job—is linked to this fear of involving myself more fully in the political movement that could most benefit me and other people in similar situations.

Another issue that has come up for me is the issue of covert hierarchy in Occupy Oakland. I was reminded of Jo Freeman’s writing on the issue when thinking about the January 28 “move-in” action to occupy the abandoned Kaiser Convention Center and turn it into a social service center. Although I was not at the action itself, I learned from CODEPINKers and other activists who had attended the rally and march that this particular action was not organized with the full consensus of the Occupy Oakland General Assembly. When I received news of this action via Facebook, the location of the vacant building to be occupied was not given. I therefore have no idea whose decision it was to pick which building to occupy; how they arrived at this decision; and why it was kept a secret. Similarly, with regard to the City Hall incident, keeping in mind the possibility that the flag-burners may have been saboteurs, the question persists: whose idea was this? Absent a clear and transparent process of shared decision-making, it is very difficult to establish accountability. It would be incredibly disappointing if Occupy Oakland’s goals were undermined by a failure to address this issue.

These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed urgently if Occupy Oakland, and the Occupy movement in general, is to remain a sustainable, nonviolent, and inclusive people’s movement to empower the 99%.

In an age when U.S. power can be projected through private mercenary armies and unmanned Predator drones, the U.S. military need no longer rely on massive, conventional ground forces to pursue its imperial agenda, a fact President Barack Obama is now acknowledging. But make no mistake: while the tactics may be changing, the U.S. taxpayer – and poor foreigners abroad – will still be saddled with overblown military budgets and militaristic policies.

Speaking January 5 alongside his Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the president announced a shift in strategy for the American military, one that emphasizes aerial campaigns and proxy wars as opposed to “long-term nation-building with large military footprints.” This, to some pundits and politicians, is considered a tectonic shift.

Indeed, the way some on the left tell it, the strategy marks a radical departure from the imperial status quo. “Obama just repudiated the past decade of forever war policy,” gushed Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings, calling the new strategy a “[s]lap in the face to the generals.”

Conservative hawks, meanwhile, predictably declared that the sky is falling. “This is a lead from behind strategy for a left-behind America,” cried hyperventilating California Republican Buck McKeon, chairman the House Armed Services Committee. “This strategy ensures American decline in exchange for more failed domestic programs.” In McKeon’s world, feeding the war machine is preferable to feeding poor people.

Unfortunately, though, rather than renouncing empire and endless war, Obama’s stated strategy for the military going forward just reaffirms the U.S. commitment to both. Rather than renouncing the last decade of war, it states that the bloody and disastrous occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan – gently termed “extended operations” – were pursued “to bring stability to those countries.”

And Leon Panetta assured the American public that even with the changes, the U.S. would still be able to fight two major wars at the same time—and win. And Obama assured America’s military contractors and coffin makers that their lifeline – U.S. taxpayers’ money – would still be funneled their way in obscene bucket loads.

“Over the next 10 years, the growth in the defense budget will slow,” the president told reporters, “but the fact of the matter is this: It will still grow.” In fact, he added with a touch of pride, it “will still be larger than it was toward the end of the Bush administration,” totaling more than $700 billion a year and accounting for about half of the average American’s income tax. So much for the Pentagon’s budget being slashed – like we were promised – the way lawmakers are trying to cut those “failed domestic programs.”

The U.S. could cut its military spending in half tomorrow and still spend more than three times as much as its next nearest rival, China. That’s because China, instead of waging wars of choice around the world, prefers projecting its might by investing in its own country. On the other hand, the U.S. under the leadership of Obama is beefing up its military presence in China’s backyard, more interested in projecting its dwindling power than rebuilding its economy.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower once noted that every dollar going to the military is a dollar that can’t be used to provide food and shelter for those in need. Today’s obscene amount of military spending isn’t necessary if the administration wished to pursue the quaint goal of simply defending the country from invasion. Maintaining “the best-trained, best-equipped military in history,” as Obama says is his goal? That’s a different story – for a different purpose. Indeed, as Madeline Albright observed, possessing that kind of military might is no fun if you don’t get to use it, as Obama has with gusto in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Uganda.

The truth is that the Obama administration’s “new” strategy is more of the same—a reaffirmation of the U.S. government’s commitment to militarism for the all the usual reasons: to promote American hegemony and, by extension, the interests of politically connected capital. And U.S. officials aren’t shy about that.

Indeed, throughout the strategy document the ostensible purpose for having a military — to provide national security — repeatedly takes a backseat to promoting the economic interests of the U.S. elite that profits from empire. Repositioning U.S. forces “toward the Asia-Pacific region,” for instance – including the stationing of American soldiers in that hotbed of violent extremism, Australia – is cast not just as a means of ensuring peace and stability, but guaranteeing “the free flow of commerce.” Maintaining a global empire of bases from Europe to Okinawa isn’t necessary for self-defense, but according to Obama, ensuring – with guns – “the prosperity that flows from an open and free international economic system.”

Of course, that economic considerations shape U.S. foreign policy is nothing new. More than 25 years ago, President Jimmy Carter – that Jimmy Carter – declared in a State of the Union address that U.S. military force would be employed in the Persian Gulf, not for the cause of peace, freedom and apple pie, but to ensure “the free movement of Middle East oil.” And so it goes.

Far from affecting change, Obama is ensuring continuity. “U.S. policy will emphasize Gulf security,” states his new military strategy, in order to “prevent Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon capability and counter its destabilizing policies” — as if it’s Iran that has been destabilizing the region. And as Obama publicly proclaims his support for “political and economic reform” in the Middle East, just like every other U.S. president he not-so-privately backs their oppressors from Bahrain to Yemen and signs off on the biggest weapons deal in history to that bastion of democracy, Saudi Arabia.

Obama can talk all he wants about turning the page on a decade of war and occupation, but so long as he continues to fight wars and military occupy countries on the other side of the globe, talk is all it is. The facts, sadly, are this: since taking office Obama doubled the number of troops in Afghanistan; he fought to extend the U.S. occupation in Iraq– and partially succeeded; he dramatically expanded the use of killer drones from Pakistan to Somalia; and he requested military budgets that would make George W. Bush blush. If you want to see what his military strategy really is, forget what’s said at press conferences and in turgidly written Pentagon press releases. Just look at the record.

Charles Davis has covered Capitol Hill for public radio and the international news wire Inter Press Service. More of his work may be found on his website.

Medea Benjamin is cofounder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace and GlobalExchange.

As soon as I read of the #Occupy Wall Street Movement I started looking for an #Occupation in San Francisco. I knew it would come. What I did not know is how instantly and utterly I would be swept in and how completely I would fall in love with this eclectic band of misfits. A day…maybe. At first, I was SHY. Scared to death, really. But then, one person talked to me, then another, next thing I knew, I was part of the community.

There is always something to do at #Occupy, I would, like everyone else at #Occupy, see something that needed to be done and I would do it. Mostly, though, I photographed. I’ll tell you, I am an adequate photographer, I know how to expose and compose a photo. But I have never, and I mean never, shot this well. I could not believe the images I was creating. I came to understand, quite quickly, that I was being driven by my love for this movement. I know, and have always known of my craft, that I’m just a framer; I eliminate the extraneous. Isolate, focus. I know that what I shoot is there regardless of me; I just put a frame around it and freeze it, for a deeper appreciation of the moment. So when people tell me how lovely and beautiful my photos are, at first I’m honored, humbled, but at the same moment I wonder why some don’t see that what is in the photographs is actually right in front of them. Photographs are everywhere. These activists are powerful and lovely creatures, that is why the images are so lovely.

As with all families, we have our own logistical and social issues to contend with, but because we are so passionate about our movement, and we know that our ends are the same, we work very hard to listen to and respect our fellow occupiers.

As one of the many occupiers who work, I #Occupy 3 to 4 days a week. The transitions can be jarring. There are so many differences I don’t know where to begin, I guess the biggest difference is not feeling crazy. With the many conversations I’ve had at #Occupy I have found a vast difference in the perspectives and world views of the occupiers and folks who are not occupiers. At #Occupy we have discussions about changing our economy from a growth economy to a sustainable economy, we think that we should be developing a green energy system instead of a burning energy system, we think more should be invested in schools and healthcare rather than war and military profiteering. We think that the problems we are facing are vast and we think they are all interdependent, that is why it is so hard to nail down one issue that we are fighting for. We also think that most world citizens agree with us. Many feel it is already too late, thus justifying their inaction. Many feel that the problems are too big, thus justifying their inaction. Many feel that they don’t look like the occupiers and would not belong with them, thus justifying their inaction.

I will say, that as long as we are able to justify our inaction we will continue down this path to self destruction, and I love us too much to just stand aside and watch it happen without doing everything in my power to stop it. I read once that action is the only cure for hopelessness.

I also want to say, that I know #Occupying is not for everyone, but there are many avenues to taking personally responsibility in one’s society. Letters are great! Phone calls to representatives, door to door in ones own neighborhood, joining a political action group to one’s own liking.

I’d like to close with what I think is the single most important conversation that happens at #Occupy. We are natural creatures; we are as much part of nature as every other living and non-living thing. That means that we have to abide by the rules that nature sets out. Give back as much as you take, and there is no such thing as waste in nature. One thing that becomes abundantly clear at #Occupy is the difference between needs and wants. And what re-use and re-cycle actually means. I believe that if we, as a human species, do not come to terms with the reality of who and what we are in the context of this lovely floating sphere, we will doom our selves and our children for generations to lives of pain and suffering.

And all we have to do is change our minds.

Photos by: Kelly Johnson

I had the privilege of starting out the year witnessing, firsthand, the unfolding of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square. I saw people who had been muzzled their entire lives, especially women, suddenly discovering their collective voice. Singing, chanting, demanding, creating. And that became the hallmark of entire year–people the world over becoming empowered and emboldened simply by watching each other. Courage, we learned in 2011, is contagious!

1. The Arab Spring protests were so astounding that even Time magazine recognized “The Protester” as Person of the Year. Sparked by Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi‘sself-immolation to cry out against police corruption in December 2010, the protests swept across the Middle East and North Africa—including Egypt,Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, and Jordan. So far, uprisings have toppled Tunisian President Ben Ali, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Libyan leader  Muammar Gaddafi–with more shake-ups sure to come. And women have been on the front lines of these protests, highlighted recently by the incredibly brave, unprecedented demo of 10,000 Egyptian women protesting military abuse.

2. Wisconsin caught the Spring Fever, with Madison becoming home to some 100,000 protesters opposing Governor Walker’s threat to destroy collective bargaining and blame the state’s economic woes on public workers. Irate Wisconsinites took over the Capitol, turning it into a festival of democracy, while protests spread throughout the state. The workers managed to loosen the Republican stranglehold on Wisconsin state government and send a message to right-wing extremists across the country. This includes Ohio, where voters overwhelmingly rejected Governor Kasich’s SB 5, a measure designed to restrict collective bargaining rights for more than 360,000 public employees. A humbled Kasich held a press conference shortly after the vote, saying: “The people have spoken clearly. You don’t ignore the public.”

3. On September 17 Occupy Wall Street was born in the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District. Protesters railed against the banksters and corporate thieves responsible for the economic collapse. The movement against the greed of the richest 1% spread to over 1,400 cities in the United States and globally, with newly minted activists embracing–with gusto–people’s assemblies, consensus decision-making, the people’s mic, and upsparkles. Speaking in the name of the 99%, the occupiers changed the national debate from deficits to inequality and corporate abuse.  Even after facing heightened police brutality, tent city evictions, and extreme winter weather, protesters are undeterred and continue to create bold actions–from port shut-downs to moving money out of big banks.  As Occupy Wall Street said, “You can’t evict an idea whose time has come.” Stay tuned for lots more occupation news in 2012.

4. After 8 long years, U.S. troops were finally withdrawn from Iraq. Credit the Iraqis with forcing Obama to stick to an agreement signed under President Bush, and the peace movement here at home for 8 years of opposition to a war our government should never have started. The US invasion and occupation left the country devastated, and Obama’s administration is keeping many thousands of State Department staff, spies and military contractors in the world’s biggest “embassy” in Baghdad. But the withdrawal marks the end of a long, tragic war and for that we should give thanks. Now let’s hold the war criminals accountable!

5. The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was presented to three terrific women: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia; Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian peace activist; and Yemeni pro-democracy campaigner Tawakkol Karman. A total of only 15 women have received the Nobel Peace Prize since it was first awarded in 1901.These three women were recognized for their non-violent struggle for women’s safety and for women’s rights to participate in peace-building work. Never before in history have three women been awarded the prize simultaneously. How inspiring!

6. The bloated Pentagon budget is no longer immune from budget cuts. The failure of the super-committee means the Pentagon budget could be cut by a total of $1 trillion over the next decade — which would amount to a 23 percent reduction in the defense budget. The hawks are trying to stop the cuts, but most people are more interested in rebuilding America than fattening the Pentagon. That’s why the U.S. Conference of Mayors, for the first time since the Vietnam war, passed a resolution calling for the end to the hostilities and instead investing at home to create jobs, rebuild infrastructure and develop sustainable energy. 2011 pried open the Pentagon’s lock box. Let’s make the cuts in 2012!

7. Elizabeth Warren is running for Senate and Rep. Barbara Lee continues to inspire. After the financial meltdown in 2008, Warren was appointed chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel to investigate the bank bailout and oversee TARP–and investigate she did. She dressed down the banks and set up a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect borrowers. Warren became so popular that tens of thousands of people urged her to run for the Senate in Massachusetts, which she is doing. And let’s give a shout out to Rep. Barbara Lee, who worked valiantly all year to push other issues with massive grassroots support: a bill to “only fund the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan” and a bill to repeal the 2001 Authorization of the Use of Force bill that continues to justify U.S. interventions anywhere in the world.

8. Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi  is running for Parliament! Released last year from nearly 15 years of house arrest, this year Suu Kyi held discussions with the Burmese junta. These talks led to a number of government concessions, including the release of many of Burma’s political prisoners and the legalization of trade unions. In November 2011, Suu Kyi’s party, the NLD, announced its intention to re-register as a political party in order run candidates in 48 by-elections. This puts Suu Kyi in the running and marks a major democratic opening after decades of abuse by the military regime.

9. Opposition to Keystone pipeline inspired thousands of new activists, together with a rockin’ coalition of environment groups across the U.S. and Canada. They brought the issue of the climate-killing pipeline right to President Obama’s door, with over 1,200 arrested in front of the White House. The administration heard them and ordered a new review of the project, but the Republican global warming deniers are trying to force Obama’s hand. Whatever way this struggle ends, it has educated millions about the tar sands threat and trained a new generation of environmentalists in more effective, direct action tactics that will surely result in future “wins” for the planet.

10. Following the tragic meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, the growing appetite for nuclear energy has been reversed. Women in Japan are spearheading protests to shut down Japan’s remaining plants and focus on green energy. Braving a cold winter, they have set up tents in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and pledged to continue their demonstration for 10 months and 10 days, traditionally considered in Japan as a full term that covers a pregnancy. “Our protests are aimed at achieving a rebirth in Japanese society,” said Chieko Shina, a grandmother from Fukushima. Meanwhile Germany, which has been getting almost one quarter of its electricity from nuclear power, has pledged to shut down all 17 nuclear power plants by 2022. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hopes Germany’s transformation to more solar, wind and hydroelectric power will serve as a roadmap for other countries. Power (wind and solar, that is) to the people!

* * * * *

The common thread in the good news this year is the power of ordinary people to counter the abuse of privileged elites, whether corrupt politicians, banksters or greedy CEOs. People all over the globe are insisting that social inequality and environmental devastation are not inevitable features of our global landscape, but policy choices that can be–and must be–reversed. That certainly gives us a full plate for 2012!

Medea Benjamin is cofounder of the human rights group Global Exchange and the peace group CODEPINK.

2011 has certainly been a splashy pink year in exposing the truth about policy makers, decision makers and elected officials who have publicly failed, sometimes miserably, in the struggle for equality, civil liberties, accountability, peace and social justice. Below are some highlights from a memorable year. Almost everything was caught on camera!

Activists across the country, including CODEPINK spent the year confronting Bush, John Yoo, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, John Bolton, Henry Kissinger and others for war crimes. Meanwhile up north in Canada, a Senate Page, Brigette DePape, silently stood up on the floor of the Senate chamber with a “Stop Harper” sign. Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister of Canada and the leader of the Conservative Party. Harper has been leading Canada with a conservative agenda since 2006. Activists oppose Harper’s administration because of its “alienation of university students, expanding prisons, cutting art funds and then redirecting it to military spending.”

As President Obama spoke at the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, CODEPINK activists created a Facebook campaign telling the president to ‘Update Your War Status’ referring to the U.S. military intervention in Libya and the continued military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Barack Obama, during his campaign, promised to close Guantanamo and end torture. American voters have recognized the costs of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Libya–lives lost, international cooperation thwarted, and tax dollars squandered. The Obama administration has authorized unmanned drone attacks in Pakistan, in direct contravention of international law, and an attack in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Watch the CODEPINK intervention team engage President Obama outside the White House.

Former Minnesota Governor and GOP Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty visited San Francisco where he was “glittered” by CODEPINK activists. If elected, the former presidential candidate said he would reinstate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (the ban on openly-gay service). As Governor of Minnesota he vetoed a bill that would have allowed surviving partners of same-sex couples the right to decide what to do with their loved one’s deceased body, because he believes in “traditional marriage”.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s book “In My Time” hit the shelves at local bookstores earlier this year. At the kick off of Cheney’s media book tour, CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin inspired activists to take action in moving Cheney’s book to the Crime section in bookstores in her 10 reasons to move Cheney’s book.

 CODEPINK Co-Founder Jodie Evans Disrupts War Criminal Dick Cheney

Using social media to its full advantage to protest Cheney’s new book, activists had created a Twitter handle (@fakecheney) and hashtag #InMyTime, joined a Facebook group, taken pictures of moving books for a Flicker slideshow, filmed a YouTube video and downloaded, printed and inserted “Doin Time” bookmarks. Even actor Alec Baldwin got in on the action and tweeted how he felt about Cheney’s new book. If anything, Cheney’s resurrection has inspired creative action and opened old wounds.

Dick Cheney managed to stay in the news for most of the year defending torture and insisting the intelligence to invade Iraq was correct. His visit to left-leaning San Francisco didn’t go unnoticed. Activists with CODEPINK, World Can’t Wait, National Accountability Network, PDA and OccupySF held a protest inside and outside the Palace Hotel where Cheney was addressing a luncheon full of investors. Read more about Cynthia Papermaster confronting Dick Cheney inside the investor’s conference.

There’s been a wave of political disruptions taking the 1% by storm! Well-known figures such as Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson had to take refuge and others like Karl Rove simply “lost his mind”. The 99% has moved its persistency against social and economic inequality and greed from outside the urban camps to inside convention rooms and university auditoriums, flexing their new voices for real change and using the people’s microphone: “Mic Check!”.

After years of CODEPINK disruptions, it’s refreshing to see the Occupy Wall Street Movement take the reins of a tactic that requires nerves of steel to address those who should not be feted in a country with high unemployment, high foreclosures, expensive health insurance, bloated military budget, expensive tuition and skyrocketing homeless communities. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2012!

These are the events I outlined to the New York City General Assembly by means of introducing our proposal to fund a bus trip from Occupy Wall Street to Fort Meade, Maryland, for Bradley Manning’s Article 32 pre-trial hearing on December 16th. On that freezing Saturday night, I didn’t predict that the trip, which was unanimously passed by the GA with little debate, would end up being dominated by yet another theme central to the Occupy movement: patriarchy.

In retrospect, though, I suppose I could have guessed. Since becoming the coordinator of CODEPINK’s “Hands Off WikiLeaks” campaign seven months ago I’ve struggled with the degree to which the WikiLeaks community is dominated by men. Sure, there are plenty of female, queer and transgendered Bradley Manning supporters, but we are a tiny and much more disparate group than the overwhelmingly male Anonymous crowd with their vast network of Guy Fawkes mask-wearing followers. That now-ubiquitous mask, which universalizes the white male as the default “anonymous” identity, will never represent me.

So when my friend Clark put me in touch with two women interested in organizing a bus trip from Occupy Wall Street to Fort Meade for Bradley Manning’s pre-trial hearing, I was immediately on board. As soon as I met Alexa O’Brien, a writer for wlcentral.org and Heather Squire, former coordinator of OWS’ off-site kitchen, I knew they meant business. In less than a week, and with just one 1.5 hour meeting — which must be an OWS record in itself — we had the bus on the road.

OWS On The Road

Friday, December 16, 5:00 am: I’m happy to see a few familiar faces arrive, including Arona Kessler, whom I first met at a Bradley Manning rally in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, last summer. As people get settled, I stand at the front of the bus to do a head count. Only at this point do I truly grasp just how few other women are on board: seven out of a total 39 passengers. Eight if I count Elaine, our busdriver — and soon to become guardian angel. As if on cue, a man a few seats back fixes me with a vacant, sloppy stare, shouting “are you going to be our personal escort?” I pause, tell him I find his comment offensive, and proceed with the roll call, feeling like a disgruntled schoolteacher on a class field trip.

It’s going to be a long ride.

After taking what will become a defining feature of the trip — a ten-block detour to loop back and pick up one more straggler — we are finally on our way. I curl up on my seat, hoping to add to the one hour of sleep I managed to catch in between preparing for the trip and heading to Liberty Plaza at 4:00 am. Immediately, the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival crescendos from the back of the bus. Deciding there is no rational explanation for what I’m hearing, I ignore it as a hallucination. Then the fighting begins. Several people shout turn it down, turn it off, with no effect. An irate white-haired man, whom I later identify as veteran gay rights activist Jim Fouratt, paces the aisle. “Who’s in charge here?” Deliriously tired, I lamely mutter something about “leaderless movement” and look back at Heather, who is either sleeping or pretending to sleep. She’s been up all night making sandwiches for the trip and I don’t blame her one bit. Alexa is already half way to Fort Meade, having traveled separately in order to arrive early and attend the hearing as a citizen journalist. I sigh and head to the back of the bus, where a group of about six or so men are sitting expectantly, one of them wielding the offending ipod. I am unsurprised to find they stink like whiskey. After about ten minutes of arguing that they shouldn’t have to “suffer” because some people “weren’t smart enough” to sleep before getting on the bus, they grudgingly agree to turn off the music “for a while.”

Taking Fort Meade

We arrive at Fort Meade military base just after 9 am and are promptly directed by scores of police cars to the “protest corner” outside the main gate. I’m relieved and delighted to find Joan Stallard, a long time CODEPINK member, among the 60 or so people gathered. I introduce her to Arona, who proudly displays her CODEPINK t-shirt with the same Gloria Steinem quote as our sign, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” After getting breakfast and the vigil underway I search for Emma Cape, Campaign Organizer for the Bradley Manning Support Network, who greets me with a big hug. We are both eager to attend the hearing and head towards the base to try to get in the courtroom at the first recess. A few other bus passengers follow suit.

As we wait for clearance to enter the base, TV screens broadcast the news that Bradley’s attorney, David Coombs, has asked for the officer presiding over the hearing, Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, to be recused. Almanza had denied all but two of the defense’s requested witnesses while approving all 20 requested by the government. Since Almanza is also an employee of the Department of Justice, Coombs is arguing he cannot be an impartial judge in the case.

The mile-long walk to the base’s courthouse feels like a pilgrimage, with every step bringing us closer to our hero. I still can’t believe I might actually get to see – in the flesh – the young man who may have had the single biggest impact of this generation on the movements for peace and democracy to which I have devoted my life.

The hearing is still in session when we arrive. Just as I’m wondering where to stash my cell phone, as no electronics are allowed in the courtroom, I see Ann Wright – former US Army colonel, prominent anti-war activist, CODEPINK friend and mentor, and one of thirteen people who, along with Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, was arrested at the Bradley Manning demonstration at Quantico Marine Base last March. We leave our bags in her van and head into the viewing theater where the hearing is being livestreamed. A security guard makes me remove my jacket, which has a “Free Bradley Manning” patch on the back.

I had been told that the screen would go black to “censor out” sensitive information, so I’m shocked to spot Bradley as soon as I enter the theater. With his slightly grown-out hair and thick-rimmed glasses, he not only looks healthier than I expected, but also more relaxed, more stylish, and more like … a regular 23 year old. He jots down notes as the prosecution convinces Almanza of his own ability to oversee the case without bias.

At the first recess Bradley’s supporters gather outside the courthouse. Ann confers with the guards to determine how many people will be allowed in and, with characteristic efficiency and astuteness, suggests a system for deciding amongst ourselves which ten of the fifteen gathered will go in first. We all introduce ourselves and explain why we want to attend Bradley’s hearing. Heather is busy on the phone trying to coordinate our sleeping arrangements and steps back from the group, withdrawing her candidacy. A young woman named Micaela says she learned about Bradley Manning through a flier she received at Occupy Wall Street. My heart jumps a little knowing there’s a good chance she got the flier from me. Emma explains her involvement in Bradley Manning’s case and says this is her only chance to attend the hearing since she’ll be organizing the rally tomorrow. I reiterate how important it is for Emma to attend and say that I’ll give up my place if necessary so that she can go in. Ann asks if anyone will volunteer to wait until the next recess to go in and a few people step up. Realizing that it’s almost lunchtime and that entering the courtroom will leave Heather alone to pick up the food I give up my spot, leaving us with only one candidate too many. Ann tears up tiny slips of paper, marking one with an X for the person who will have to stay outside. Emma draws first. I hear myself let out a yelp as she pulls the X. Ann shakes her head and takes back the paper, offering to give up her seat for Emma. I’m furious at the prospect of either of them not making it into the courtroom. Finally Ann gets everyone to agree that Emma should be the first one in and they re-draw.

When we get to St. Stephens church that evening a young woman from DC named Rebecca leads us in a much-needed meditation session and graciously offers to accompany me to Occupy DC. It’s my first time visiting another occupation and I’m not sure what to expect. Within five minutes of entering the sparsely populated McPherson Square three people independently approach me to introduce themselves and welcome me into the space. Their beautiful library, kitchen and teahouse make me tear up with nostalgia for the early days of OWS and Liberty Plaza. I glimpse inside a tent with a black flag that reads “Camp Anonymous” to see a group of men intently gathered around a table dimly illuminated by someone’s headlamp. Night has fallen and the camp is starting to feel hostile. I hear yelling and see a crowd gathering around two men wielding metal rods at each other. The man who made the “escort” comment on the bus starts lecturing me not to “take it personally” and pulls me by the arm, stumbling drunk and eager to show me his tent. It’s time to go.

#D17 – International Day of Solidarity for Bradley Manning

In the morning we rejoice at our victory – yesterday’s demonstration is front page news! Waiting for the bus to leave McPherson Square I see a pink puffball bounding towards me – it’s CODEPINK DC coordinator Alli McCracken. I’m so happy to see her I practically pounce into our hug. Spirits buoyed by sleep and coffee we board the bus singing Bradley a happy birthday.

It wouldn’t be an OWS bus ride with at least one detour, and this morning’s is to Freedom Plaza, where the occupiers are donating an army tent to Occupy Newark. There’s nowhere to park but Elaine risks a ticket to grant us what I promise will be one last favor. I’m nervous not just about jeopardizing Elaine job and patience, but also because we’re delaying one of the rally’s speakers, Lt. Dan Choi, who we’re lucky enough to have riding the bus with us. I hold my breath as the minutes and blocks tick by and Elaine looks for a street wide enough to turn. Fed up with the demands coming from the guys at the back of the bus, Heather jokingly tells me it shouldn’t matter how wide the road is: “c’mon Mel, it was passed by consensus – make it happen!” Finally we loop around and miraculously the guys are there, tent and all, ready to hop back on the bus. Everyone cheers as I get on the bus’ PA system to thank Elaine and apologize for inconveniencing Lt. Dan Choi, introducing him as one of Bradley’s staunchest supporters and a leading activist against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. He graciously laughs it off – “we’re running on gay time now.”

After a beautiful – though frigid – rally and march, at 3:00 pm I’m relieved to be heading home. Lt. Dan Choi boards the bus to thank us for coming and give one last rallying call:

“We can’t control the corporations. We can’t control the media. We can’t control the government. All we can control is how long we fight. Please keep fighting!”

We’ve all promised Elaine we’d be on the bus with wheels rolling by 3:30 pm, knowing that after this morning’s debacle, any further delay will violate her labor contract, putting her into overtime we have neither the budget nor the authority to sign off on. At 3:30pm, we are still missing seven people. Apparently they are in the courtroom and won’t be let out until the hearing goes into another recess. A civil war erupts between those who think we should stay and wait for the other passengers and those who think we should leave. Elaine negotiates with the police officers and announces that they are looking for the other passengers inside the base and have allowed us to keep the bus parked for another 30 minutes. If they don’t show up before 4:00, we will have no choice but to leave.

I can tell this predicament is as painful for Elaine as it is for the rest of us. Among the people inside is Djrae, a diminutive teenager who doesn’t look a day older than 16, and, as I’ve learned from their frequent conversations at the front of the bus, is from the same area of New Jersey as Elaine. As she nervously chain-smokes outside the bus, I recall how she lined up like a proud mother to take a group photo of us after yesterday’s demonstration. Elaine is very much a part of the 99%. The minutes tick by as I try to come up with a plan B and the group of men at the back of the bus shout about consensus and brotherhood, demanding that we hold the bus indefinitely for their friends. I ask if any of them would be willing to stay behind if necessary with supplies and directions to make sure everyone gets home okay. No dice.

Finally, at five minutes before 4:00, the seven remaining passengers show up.

As soon as we reach the highway Alice Cooper starts blasting through an ipod amplified over the bus’ PA system, leading to yet another rowdy, pseudo-facilitated General Assembly that elicits more sexist comments than I care to recount. When things finally quiet down I try to resume an earlier conversation with a long-time occupier and ally concerned about gender inequality at OWS. As I hover by his seat waiting for a chance to offer my opinion, I realize his words are being blocked out by a very loud and frustrated inner monologue. I know he has good intentions, but I am tired. I am tired of standing in the aisle while men talk at me. I am tired of trying not to look like an angry feminist. I am tired of wondering when it will be my turn to speak. Most of all, I am tired of listening to men. I interrupt him mid-sentence to tell him, with love, “I think I’ve spent enough time listening to you.” He is caught off guard but nods respectfully as, for the first time on the trip, I occupy my seat.