Cindy Sheehan and The Grandmothers Against the War Arrested but not Restrained It’s time to start listening to our grandmothers! Written by Wendy R. Williams Photos from the October 19, 2005 vigil in Rockefeller Center by Angelo Rivera
	Cindy Sheehan

On October 17, 2005, the Grandmothers Against the War were arrested at a Times Square recruiting station. According to Joan Wile (the founder of Grandmothers Against the War), “eighteen of us old broads (most of us in our seventies and eighties - one ninety and a couple of sixties) tried to enlist, couldn't get inside the Center, sat down and blocked the entrance, were arrested and went to jail.”

Here is a quote that Joan Wile gave to the Associated Press: “ "We tried to ring the bell at the booth, but no one answered," Wile said. "I saw a head poke up from behind the counter every once in a while and then duck back down. I don't know what they were afraid of. Maybe they don't know how to deal with a bunch of grannies." The women were taken into custody after they sat down in front of the recruiting station and began to chant, "We insist, we want to enlist."

Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan (heroine of the Crawford, Texas vigil), heard about the arrest and came to New York to join the just-sprung-Granny-jailbirds at their regularly scheduled Wednesday peace vigil on October 19 th vigil in Rockefeller Center. And in a quote from Joan Wile, “Cindy is a lovely woman, very articulate – she hugged and kissed every one of us and stayed for the entire vigil." And here is a big hug and kiss for the Grandmothers and Cindy from all of us at New York Cool – you totally rock and what’s more you’re right!

If you would like to get involved with the Grandmothers, please contact Joan Wile at joan.wile@grandmothersagainstthewar.org. And for more information on the Grandmothers log onto www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org