Sunday, July 03, 2005

Crossing Over (Burning Bridges?)

I did it. I've taken the step. I've gone from being one of those people that sit around saying how they feel the diengagement is bad, and turned into an activist. Didnt get arrested, but it was close.
I signed up with the Ta Hakatom (student anti disengagement party) because I was wating for a ride and really bored, and Mendy and I agreed to sign up. Since then theyve been calling (actually calling MyShan since I gave them her number-oops). I never went to their things but they kept calling. The other day they called and said that Sunday morning theyre going to be hanging dolls in effigy from bridges with a sign "Students against the suicide plan". I decided the time had come, so I decided to go. 6AM I was up and out of the house Sunday morning, off to conquer a bridge. I went to a bridge close to home, there were 5 other people there getting ready to hang up the signs and dolls. At first they seemed a bit suspicious of me, what with the Shabak having invaded everything else, but once I mentioned I had learned in Maale Adumim all was good. Anways, so we hung up our dolls and signs, then two of the girls left. Then we decided to rehang one of the dolls, since it wasnt so visible. So we took it back up and as we were restringing it, the cops came.
Cop"What are you doing"
Rachel (our ringleader)"hanging up signs that say the hitnatkut is a suicide plan, and hanging dolls. We have a permit to do this."
Cop"Come with me to my car"
Rachel "Its OK. We have a permit"
Cop "Come with me to my car, I dont have a radio on me, and I need to check if your allowed to be here"
So we left the other guy to hang up the doll, while Rachel and went to the cop car. Why he didnt make the other guy stop is beyond me. So we went to his car, he took our radios, radioed them in and found out we did have a permit and gave us back our ID's. Then he told us its not safe to hang the dolls cuz they may fall and cause an accident, but Rachel assured him that she is stdudying for aphysics degree and she knows it wont fall. Meanwhile, the other guy had already hung the doll while we werent there, so I dont know how the physics degree would help, but it was good enough for the cops. So we went back, took one of our signs, and stood by the side of the road while people hit their horns or ignored us. What is the appropriate response to someone hitting their horn in support? Then we got a call that one of the girls on a different bridge had been arrested. A third guy came by and said he was driving over to the jail to protest her arrest, so I joined him. We got there, and there were about twenty other Ta Katomers also protesting. The protest was about them taking away our freedom of speech so we did a silent protest, we all covered our mouth with orange rribbons holding our signs, while one guy explained to the cameras what we were doing. There was like 8 camera and video guys taping us. Then they let the girl go, on the condition she take all the signs down. That sounds impossible, but at that point, I had to go, so I left.

5 Comments:

Blogger Menachem said...

you actually cared about something enough to wake up at 6am? such mesiras nefesh. those stupid ta katom people wont stop calling me.

2:08 PM  
Blogger stillruleall said...

do you just sit online all day waiting for people to post so you could comment? The only way to get them to stop annoying you is to join. Theyll keep calling but it will be less annoying...

2:23 PM  
Blogger Menachem said...

i still can't believe you made me sign up for that stupid thing. i hate you so much. go to my blog, i just posted

3:37 PM  
Blogger Rolling hills of green said...

nice ribbon

11:57 AM  
Blogger Olah Chadasha said...

Didn't see it on the news... Guess they had better things to show.

11:02 PM  

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