Ithaca College

The event "Blood on the Flag: Local Civil Disobedience" will present several short films and commentaries about anti-war civil disobedience by Ithacans on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:00 p.m. in Friends Hall 309.

This FLEFF lab about civil disobedience is dedicated to the memory of Ithacan Peter DeMott, an eloquent peace and social justice activist who died this year. Peter was one of the St. Patrick's Four (SP4), who were arrested for protesting at a military recruitment center two days before the invasion of Iraq. After the SP4 were acquitted by nine of twelve jurors in Tompkins County Court, they were brought to trial again by the U.S. government on the charges of conspiracy.

The event will include several short films about anti-war civil disobedience actions by Ithacans and a few clips from the Citizen’s Tribunal on Iraq, which took place each evening during the five-day federal trial of the SP4 in Binghamton, New York. Local activist-filmmaker Daniel Burns compiled the films, including his own Lost.

After reflections by guest activists on the significance of civil disobedience, focusing on the St. Patrick's Four action and organizing in its aftermath, the audience will discuss the strengths and limitations of nonviolent civil disobedience as a strategy to influence U.S. military policy.

Guest activists include IC writing professor Fred Wilcox, coauthor of Philip Berrigan's autobiography; living members of the St. Patrick's Four Clare Grady, Teresa Grady and Daniel Burns; and Mary Anne Grady, who organized many forms of support of the SP4 action, including the Citizen’s Tribunal.

This event will be moderated by IC politics professor Beth Harris, who is teaching a seminar, entitled Witnessing War, Occupation, and Displacement.