From left, AFSC staff Rick Wilson, Alonso Oliveros and Sayrah Namaste rally for immigrants outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. AFSC
In late July, dozens of Friends from the Pacific Northwest joined AFSC staff from around the country to rally against the ongoing incarceration of immigrants and inhumane living conditions at Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Washington.
This Quaker Solidarity Day came midway through the annual sessions of North Pacific Yearly Meeting (NPYM), held in nearby Olympia.
Alonso Oliveros, Program Associate with AFSC Oregon Project Voice, said it was great to see energized Quakers take action and hear from detained community members. “It’s so important to keep them in the Light under such inhumane conditions,” Alonso said.
Project Voice staff supported Friends and La Resistencia, AFSC’s partner in Tacoma working to end the NWDC and all detention centers. “We sang songs of solidarity with the Quakers, and it was great to hear us all sing as one voice,” Alonso said.
Quakers put flowers on the fence surrounding the detention center, and one person in detention was able to call in to the rally. Sayrah Namaste
Sayrah Namaste, AFSC New Mexico Program Co-Director, and Rick Wilson, AFSC Director of US Economic Justice based in West Virginia, attended most of NPYM’s annual sessions, held before and after the action at the detention center. They gave a presentation on “responding to the moment” that covered topics ranging from authoritarianism to birddogging
Sayrah and Rick said they had great feedback on their presentation, with people saying they felt they got real skills they can share. One Friend says he plans to take what he learned to the national Veterans for Peace convention this year.
During the Interest Group on Friends Response to Authoritarianism, Sayrah shared about the Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit, created by people around the world who are working to protect democracy.
In a subsequent NPYM Daily Bulletin, Linda Ellsworth, Orcas Island Worship Group, said, “I found it inspiring and thought others would be interested.” Offering practical tools for all who are committed to democratic action, the toolkit is organized into thematic volumes, each with a set of specific strategies and tactics.
According to Brian Blackmore, AFSC Director of Quaker Engagement, AFSC staff attended over 100 Quaker gatherings this summer.
Sayrah Namaste and Alonso Oliveros at the Quaker Solidarity Day at Northwest Detention Center. Sayrah Namaste