March 20 Coverage (page 3)

The crowd gathers for a second rally at William Pitt Union. (Photo by Matt Toups, Pgh Indymedia)	The Raging Grannies perform at the second rally following the march. (Photo by Matt Toups, Pgh Indymedia)
Hundreds of police officers from the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, the Sheriff's Department, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh were present with an overly dramatic display of horses, bikes, dogs, cars and entertaining undercovers posing as journalists and protesters. (Photo by Mary Hart, Pgh Indymedia)	No information was available on the cost of the excessive display. (Photo by Mary Hart, Pgh Indymedia)

Empty Shoes and Memories

There ought not to be puns on a serious topic, but…the shoe event was a perfect fit. There we all were, the Code Pink women with their pink slips, the Grannies ready to sing a somber song, Ceci Wheeler huddled in a corner, as she wrote a poem about the shoes, and everyone on time and carrying out their tasks without a hitch. Marty O’Malley selling the buttons and spreading his enthusiasm.

The shoes multiplied like the fishes and loaves so that we had over 500 pairs by the day of the memorial, Friday, March 19. . Thanks to the donors and the carriers.

The sound system worked well, thanks to Nathaniel Glosser, and produced great background music, thanks to Bill Neal. The speakers were inspired and held to their time limits. The crowd was of a decent size, with faithful supporters, friends, and the curious. Thanks to the homeless who took away many pairs of the shoes after the event ended.

And final thanks to Edith Bell, who saw the picture from the Chicago Shoe Memorial in the Post Gazette, and said "We Can do This." Were it not for her, it would not have been.

Hundreds of pairs of empty shoes were on display in Market Square as part of the kick-off to Pittsburgh’s Anti-War Convergence Weekend March 19-21.  The boots, worker’s shoes, and children’s sneakers were meant to represent the over 10,000 Iraqi civilians and almost 600 U.S. service people killed so far in the Bush Administration’s "War on Terror."  Guest speaker was Susi Snyder, director of the UN office of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the organization responsible for collecting the footwear.  Snyder spoke later that evening at the Friends Meeting House on "The Role of Women in Conflict." There were also poetry readings by Mimi Yahn and Edith Bell.  One woman remarked, "Turning the corner and seeing [the shoes], the tears welled up in my eyes."  The event, dubbed "Empty Shoes and Memories," was sponsored by WILPF/Pittsburgh, the Raging Grannies, Peace Links, Code Pink, Rosenberg Institute for Peace & Justice and the Thomas Merton Center.

- M. Novak

Edith Bell addresses the crowd. (Photos by David Meieran)

The shoe memorial.