CWers Mark Massacre of the Holy Innocents at Pentagon
Two Catholic Workers were arrested at a nonviolent protest at the Pentagon organized by three Catholic Worker communities to mark the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
A group of ten peacemakers gathered at the Pentagon to observe the Feast of the Massacre of the Holy Innocents on Dec. 28, an event organized by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker (Washington, D.C.) in collaboration with the Little Flower Catholic Worker Farm (Louisa, Virginia) and Norfolk Catholic Worker (Norfolk, Virginia).
According to an email from Art Laffin, the demonstration aimed to show prayerful solidarity with others in the U.S. and globally who are marking the feast day by publicly opposing war-making efforts. The event began with a procession led by Bill Frankel-Streit of the Little Flower Catholic Worker and Kim Williams of the Norfolk Catholic Worker. Starting from the Pentagon’s designated protest area, they moved to the main checkpoint gate, carrying a banner reading “Wounded Knee to GAZA-Stop the Massacre of Innocents!”
Frankel-Streit and Williams were warned three times by authorities before being arrested for refusing to leave the gate. Meanwhile, other participants held signs and engaged in various activities, including reading an introductory statement, excerpts from Pope Francis’s Christmas Day Message, singing songs like “Cry of Ramah” and “Coventry Carol,” and reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
Following the arrest, the remaining eight demonstrators continued their peaceful protest in the designated area. Their activities included displaying banners and signs, reading biblical passages about the massacre of the Holy Innocents, reflections on the situation in Gaza, a poem by Sr. Anne Montgomery, and other liturgical elements.
After being processed by Pentagon police, Frankel-Streit and Williams were released and charged with disobeying a lawful order. They have been scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, VA, on March 7, 2024.
The demonstration concluded with another prayer of intercession, with Laffin emphasizing the importance of living and proclaiming the Gospel of Nonviolence, particularly in current times of global unrest and ongoing tragedies akin to the massacre of the Holy Innocents.
“In these perilous times, we need now, more than ever, to live and proclaim the Gospel of Nonviolence and resist the ongoing massacre of the Holy Innocents today,” Laffin stated, calling for divine mercy on the United States and the world.
Photos by Michele Dunne and Jack McHale.
