I'm Sure You're Wondering...
It was quite a weekend. Above is a pick of what we were doing Saturday morning. The day was perfect for the commencements at the stadium in Ann Arbor. It was quite an event. There were a little over 70,000 people there! about 8,000 graduating that day and the rest were friends and family joining in the celebration. |
You’re Probably Wondering… |
In the last blog I told you that we were taking some precautions because of the potential safety concern from protestors. We did in fact have a briefing and took some precautions. The night before the commencements, there were a few people arrested when some protestors went head o head with some officers. The day of commencements we were able to avoid the majority of the protests which were occurring in another area of the campus. We hired a driver who knew his way around the area. He got us there early, without any fuss. We kept an eye out as we were in line to get in. Things went pretty smoothly, and because we were there so early, we got right in and to our seats. |
A Battle for Airspace!? |
At one time, we looked up to see a plane flying a banner over the stadium that said, "We stand with Israel. Jewish lives matter." Soon after, we saw another plane circling the field flying a pro Palestine banner. The banner read, "Divest from Israel now! Free Palestine". In my imagination I saw the planes locked in a dog fight battling for air supremacy. In reality it may very well been the same company paid by two opposing sides to fly each of the banners that day. Who knows. The fact that both planes could be flying overhead advertising such diversely opposed messages is a testament to our country and the right to freedom of speech and to peacefully organize and protest. Speaking of… |
Protestors! |
Both students and spectators continued to flow in at an impressive rate… They just kept coming in, it was incredible. It seemed to take quite some time for everyone to get to their seats. Well, I guess it would, being that there were over 70,ooo attendees in all. Things were going along well. But then… Once the actual commencement ceremonies started about 75 or so students donned on banners and flags and gathered together in one of the center isles. They began chanting loudly, although I couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. Something about Intifada. I think it was “Long Live Intifada,” but don’t quote me. Intifada is an Arabic word that means rebellion, uprising, or a resistance movement. |
Police Cut Them Off… |
The students protesting formed a group and looked like they were marching toward the stage… However, the police immediately responded and cut them off before they could gain more ground. It was peaceful on both sides. The loud chanting continued throughout the entire commencements. Eventually, the crowd was ‘driven’ back closer to the end of the field where they remained with their signs, flags and verbal message. |
The Speakers at the Podium |
The speakers at the podium did a good job amidst the commotion in front of them. A couple of them even seemed to use the event to make their speeches more poignant. One of the keynotes, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro paused a few times during his remarks, saying at one point, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you can please draw your attention back to the podium." Del Toro also made a point to mention in his speech about fighting for the right to peacefully protest. And overall that’s what occured there, a peaceful protest. Officials said no one was arrested, and the protest didn't seriously interrupt the nearly two-hour event, which was attended by tens of thousands of people. Yes, it was distracting, but no violence occured. University spokesperson Colleen Mastony said public safety personnel escorted demonstrators to the rear of the stadium, where they remained through the conclusion of the event. (Which was true.) "Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades," she added. Overall, I think that everything came together quite well. It was a grand day to remember on many levels. |
Last Call! |
So, because of all of this, last week I offered you folks the PeaceWalker Social Unrest Survival Guide. Originally, when it came out, I created it for our Premium Inner Circle Community. But… I’d like to share it with you too for occasions like this past weekend. Luckily, nothing happened mind you, but being better prepared helped a lot. It made the event much better for Jenn & I and especially the kids. Some of the things that are covered in the Guide are:
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It’s Better to Be Prepared & Not Need It, than the Opposite! |
Friday, I posted the guide in PeaceWalker Connect, which is our Free Training & Community Network. If you would like to get access to that guidebook, click the link below to get into our Free Private Community. Once you are in, you’ll see it right after the (really short) welcome video. If you are already a PeaceWalker Connect Member, the link will take you to it too. https://peacewalker.mn.co/ This guidebook won’t be up forever, I will be taking it down soon, so if you’re considering it, I wouldn’t wait to check it out. Have a great day! |
Keep Going, ~Craig |
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