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Sep 30, 2008 10:42 pm US/Central
Minnesota Peace Team: Calm, Comfort During RNC
(WCCO)
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Minnesota Peace Team members at the scene outside the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center September 2, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (File)
Max Whittaker/Getty Images
On a beautiful fall morning in a quiet St. Paul neighborhood, Don Christensen and Katherine Wojtan can not escape dark images of downtown during the Republican National Convention.
Christensen and Wojtan were part of a group of Minnesota Peace Team volunteers on the scene of many situations, like when police used smoke grenades and flash bangs to clear demonstrators in front of Mickey's Diner. Wojtan helped a McCain supporter caught in the chaos.
"I felt really comfortable just putting my arms around her, calming her and reminding her to breathe slowly," remembered Wojtan, who helped coordinate the team.
During the four-day event, team volunteers were easy to spot in their bright yellow-colored clothes. They helped out with marches and were on hand during tense stand-offs between police and protesters.
Christensen said they were "try to support everyone to allow their voice to be heard, to express themselves."
"There were a lot of times that we served that buffer because we're not with the police, we're not with the protestors, but we're there as a presence and we're there to talk to people," Wojtan said.
To prepare for the RNC, volunteers went through 10 hours of intense training on how to diffuse tensions, hoping to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
"It's always frightening to be on that front line," Christensen said.
Some of the peace team volunteers did get caught up in the mass arrests. And while Christensen and Wojtan personally supported the positions of the anti-war protesters, they say they remained independent from the demonstrators and independent from the police.
"I think we serve a role of easing tension in the crowds," Wojtan said.
St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington praised their role during the RNC.
"They were able to, I think, really get the message out for those that wanted to be here about peace and that wanted to get their message out that there was a way of doing that and they were able to direct them in that way," he said. "They were also a source of comfort to a lot of people."
Harrington is pleased the newly-formed Minnesota Peace Team plans to be on hand for future demonstrations and community events.
"Because they have really great hearts and they're really, truly people of faith and that want to give back. I think people resonate to that," Harrington said.
Looking back at the four days on the streets during the RNC, Wojtan said, "I think the whole experience showed us the power of non-violence."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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