Barry Small
Special to Marinscope
In celebration of their 20th birthday, PeaceNovato will be protesting the current Dark Age-practice of banning books. The vigil will take place on Friday, March 17, 5:30 p.m. at Novato City Hall (corner of Sherman and De Long).
Samples of books currently under ban will be on display. Birthday cake will be served and handouts made available which chronicle the colorful history of an iconic Novato community organization–PeaceNovato.
“The belief that someone can limit access to certain books or can restrict our freedom to explore controversial ideas is repugnant and has no place in 21st century America,” declares Julie Manson, chair of PeaceNovato. (According to PEN America, an organization dedicated to protecting free expression in literature, more than 1,600 books were banned in America during the 2021-2022 school year. The bans affected 138 school districts in 32 states.”
PeaceNovato co-founder Maija Schaefer recalls that it all began on March 16, 2003, when a group of approximately 100 Novatans gathered near Miwok Park to protest the anticipated U.S. attack on the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein.
“We had about 100 people, I think, all told, mostly parents and their children,” Schaefer recalls. As we were breaking up, several participants said they’d like to stay in touch and vigil again. We planned to meet in a few days – or right away if the war broke out. And on Mar. 19, when the war did begin, I heard that there was also a vigil planned at City Hall, so we joined that event, and I met Don Foster, and the rest is history.”
Foster remembers that day well.
“I was following the news and listening to the pounding of the drums of war preceding the US led invasion of Iraq. As a long-time peacenik who protested the Vietnam War, I asked myself ‘What should I do to contribute to the efforts against another US-involved war’? I sent out a press release asking that people join me in front of City Hall to protest at 5:00 pm on the day the war started. I called my protest plan “PeaceNovato” to give it an identity.”
When Foster arrived early at City Hall, Foster Novato’s Acting Police Chief Scott Sibbald was there to greet him.
“Scott asked me what my intentions were,” Foster recalls. “He didn’t recognize me because of my long beard, so I introduced myself and reminded him that we attended Drake High School together back in the 60’s. I told him that I wanted to exercise our Constitutional right to protest, but would do everything possible to keep things peaceful. If people wanted to march downtown, I would lead and ask that we respect private property. Scott told me that my plan sounded good – if we wanted to march downtown, officers would provide an escort.”
PeaceNovato is perhaps best known for its Peace Crane Remembrance Project. Schaefer, who grew up in Japan as the daughter of missionary parents, learned about the Japanese Origami crane tradition and its significance as a symbol of peace. She mastered the art of making cranes from Origami paper, and years later, taught her fellow PeaceNovato members how to do it. In 2004, PeaceNovato registered to enter Novato’s 4th of July parade, and although there was initial resistance on the part of the event organizing committee to having a “political” group participate, they eventually relented.
The group, carrying hundreds of cranes on the parade route, became a yearly fixture at the parade. Peace cranes were prepared for every American service person killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with the name, rank and hometown listed. These cranes have been displayed in parades, marches and demonstrations throughout the Bay Area.
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