Well, the Embassy went ahead and welcomed visitors to sign a condolences book for late Vice President John Garang. Their consular offices remained closed.
We met a lot of interesting people. Visitors ranged from dignitaries in suits arriving in cars with diplomatic plates, to guys in street clothes arriving on foot.
The first visitor of the day was an older woman who showed up early and waited for the Embassy to open. She had been a college classmate of Garang (who went to Grinnell and Iowa State).
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz came up to demonstrator Ken Hannaford-Ricardi and asked, “Is it OK if I go in there?” Ken said, “Of course.” Wolfowitz said, referring to the Darfur issue, “I’m with you on this one.” Ken said, “OK–but who are you?” Leave it to Ken.
Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, an opponent of America’s Iraq policy as part of Voices in the Wilderness, talks with Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of America’s Iraq policy as part of the Department of Defense.
Yesterday, the Embassy’s front lawn was badly eroded from a recent storm. Today, the yard was fixed up with mulch and flowers, though one of the demonstrators, a former landscaper, thought the workmanship wasn’t too good. An Italian who does gardening on Embassy Row came by and said the same thing. “But they never listen to the gardener.” An Embassy staffer came out and admitted that he’d done the landscaping himself, and that more work would be done later. I guess the quick and dirty job was just to make things presentable until people are done signing the condolences book.
If you are planning to demonstrate at the Embassy of Sudan, the most convenient bathroom is in the Hilton down the street. Don’t believe people who say to use the Burger King. It’s too far, and you have to ask them for the key.
I discovered late one night when both the weather and my gastrointestinal system were stormy that hotels were far better places to look for public toilets than gas stations or fast food joints. They are less common, though, in most places.
Was Ken speaking in jest when he asked Paul Wolfowitz ‘Who are you?’ or did he really not recognize him? What did P. W. say in response?
Yes, Ken did not recognize Wolfowitz.
When Ken said, “Who are you?” Wolfowitz said,
“I’m Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank.”
At a Hiroshima Day vigil in Worcester this weekend,
several people came up to Ken, shook his hand, and
said, “I’m with you on this one.”