Sacramento Bishops William Weigand and Richard Garcia have signed a U.S. Catholic bishops resolution asked that the school be closed. A group of Northern Californians join other protesters in Fort Benning every November to oppose the SOA's role in Latin American atrocities. The '60s-style protests include music, speeches, civil disobedience and arrests that might seem dated to some. Bourgeois doesn't see it that way. Protesters carry coffins, white crosses and, one by one, call out the names of the murdered.
Mass arrests occur.
The event has grown from 10 to 10,000 protesters. It's very meaningful and moving. It's the simplicity of the symbols. It's liturgy at its finest. Whether protesting injustice or volunteering in soup kitchens, people find peace and satisfaction in speaking up for the voiceless, Bourgeois said.