The Ban Bus

(Boston, MA: November 25, 1997) A great warm welcome to Marta Munguambe and Alberto Manhique of the Mozambique Campaign to Ban Landmines who joined the Ban Bus in Boston on route to Ottawa tomorrow. For their Massachusetts stop, the Ban Bus split into two teams with John Rodsted and Michael Hands stayed in Boston and Loung Ung, Marta, and Alberto travelling to Northampton.

The day in Boston began with an interview for the Boston Globe with Michael Hands. Hands and Rodsted then parked the Ban Bus in the center of Boston’s Copley Square Plaza Park where Hands did a demining demonstration and Rodsted set up his photo exhibit. At 4:OOpm an outdoor rally at the foot of the John Hancock Tower was opened by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Church bells of the Old South Church rang. Whit Larrabee of Massachusetts Peace Action read a Proclamation by Governor Paul Cellucci declaring November 25 Ban Landmines Day in the state of Massachusetts. Lisa Meade,
director of the Massachusetts office of Senator John Kerry offered support for the Ban Bus and urged President Clinton to sign the ban treaty. Other speakers included the Consul General of the Canadian Consulate in Boston, Mary Clancy, and the CEO of the American Red Cross of Mass. Bay as well as representatives from Physicians for Human Rights, Oxfam America, and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

A candlelight vigil marched down Boylston Street to the Arlington Street Church, where an evening speakers’ forum took place. Distinguished actress and director Liv Ullmann opened the forum and was followed by Loung Ung (who drove to Boston from Northampton Ban Bus Activities), Anne Goldfeld of the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, Len Rubenstein of Physicians for Human Rights, and Representative Jim McGovern. The evening ended with a meal of Cambodian and
Vietnamese food donated by area restaurants.

The Northampton activities began with a lunch sponsored by the Cambodian community of the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, MA. Campaigners leafleted at the Student Center of the University of Massachusetts Campus in Amherst, MA and then the Ban Bus proceeded to a rally held at the Unitarian Church in Northampton, MA.

The Ban Bus thanked Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy for supporting the Landmine Elimination Act and Massachutsetts Representatives William Delahunt, John Joseph Moakley, Jospeh Kennedy 11, Edward Markey, John Tierney, Martin Meehan, Barney Frank, James McGovern, Richard Neal and John Olver for their support for a ban ALL Massachusetts Senators and Representatives support legislation to ban antipersonnel landmines.

Thanks to the Boston Park Plaza owner Donald Saunders for providing free hotel rooms for the Ban Bus; Boston organizers Barbara Ayotte and Lara Quint of Physicians for Human Rights, Whit Larrabee and Jessica Sullivan of Mass. Peace Action; Susan Alberti and Anne Goldfeld of Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children. Northampton organizers included Glenn Ruga of Friends of Bosnia, and all our friends and supporters who kept us driving and motivated.