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The White House Peace Vigil is an anti-nuclear weapons peace
WHPeaceVigil.com
Proposition One website
1981 establishments in Washington, D.C. Anti-nuclear protests in the United States Anti-war protests in the United States Peace camps Peace vigil {{Activism-stub
The White House Peace Vigil is an anti-nuclear weapons peace vigil
A vigil, from the Latin ''vigilia'' meaning ''wakefulness'' ( Greek: ''pannychis'', or ''agrypnia'' ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word ''vigilia'' has become gener ...
started by William Thomas in 1981. Thomas believed it to be the longest running uninterrupted anti-war protest in U.S. history.
After Thomas's death in 2009, it was maintained around-the-clock by Concepción Picciotto until her death in 2016, and also by other volunteers to prevent the vigil from being dismantled by authorities.
History
Thomas launched the anti-nuclear vigil outside theWhite House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
in Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. on June 3, 1981. He was later joined by Concepción Picciotto in August 1981 and Ellen Benjamin in April 1984. Over the years various other activists have joined them, including those from the Catholic Worker Movement
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the United States in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus ...
, Plowshares Movement and Occupy D.C. It continued to be staffed by activists during Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
in 2012.
In 2013, the Peace Vigil was disassembled while it was briefly left unattended. It was restored the same day.
Influence
Thomas and the White House Peace Vigil inspired U.S. House of RepresentativesDelegate
Delegate or delegates may refer to:
* Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia
* Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique
* Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations
* Delegate (Unit ...
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton (born June 13, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a delegate to the United States House of Representatives, representing the District of Columbia since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Ea ...
to introduce the Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act, that would require the United States to disable and dismantle its nuclear weapons when all other nations possessing nuclear weapons do likewise. The Congresswoman has been introducing a version of the bill since 1994.
In the media
''The Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue'', a 2012 documentary directed by Tim Wilkerson and commissioned by the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, recounts the lives of anti-nuclear activists Thomas, Concepción Picciotto and Norman Mayer.See also
* '' Countdown to Zero'', 2010 documentary * Parliament Square Peace Campaign * Brian Haw *List of peace activists
This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usually work ...
References
External links
WHPeaceVigil.com
Proposition One website
1981 establishments in Washington, D.C. Anti-nuclear protests in the United States Anti-war protests in the United States Peace camps Peace vigil {{Activism-stub