Peace Picnic

This event was a very laid-back throwback to the sixties. There was a gathering of musicians playing a mix of new folk songs and older classics (e.g., If I Had a Hammer). I'd guess there were perhaps 200 people there, eating picnic food provided by the organizers, listening to the music, browsing the few vendor and display tables. Since we were literally directly across the river from the Xcel Center, we had an interesting perspective on activity over there. We were constantly overflown by one of two helicopters circling over the downtown area, and the river right in front of us was patrolled by small Coast Guard boats. At one point, a large yacht came by, guarded by a CG boat, which appeared to be a pleasure junket for (and I'm guessing on this) RNC delegates.

One cool thing for me: a brief chat with Ray McGovern. I was able to tell him I appreciated his service to the country as a dissenter in print, and he said he appreciated hearing that. He was really enjoying himself at this event, even getting up to sing with the band! Colleen Rowley, one of the main organizers, was also having a ball. I thought about the evolution these two former government intelligence workers have made in their lives.

Alas, the weather was cool and cloudy, and there weren't enough people to make the giant peace sign they'd hoped to make. We left early to get to the Ralph Nader rally in Minneapolis. On the way, we heard about the gathering march in St. Paul which had been herded by the police onto a bridge. We managed to drive around it, but of course we heard later about the numerous arrests.