Here’s a testimony from a Friendly Fire comrade on being arrested during the ICE occupation in Philadelphia. Her words reveal and expound on the meaning of Galatians 6:17, “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”



We were on the first line of protestors and we were given no warning. Bike cops began pushing forward. Officers kicked us as they stepped over to arrest us. I had a rosary in my hands. I was praying to Mary, the Mother of Liberation, as officers forced my hands behind my back. I heard them screaming, “She has a rosary! She has a rosary!” I felt them rip it from my hands. They broke it, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it in front of me. I continued to pray as they dragged me through the street, as they hit my head on the van again and again, as they drove the van with me hanging out, my legs still on the sidewalk. I thought of the thousands of immigrants whose rosaries were taken from them as they crossed the border. I thought of the children who cry every night begging for their parents. I thought of Christ being violently arrested and beaten. And I considered myself blessed to share in his wounds.

While my brothers and sisters are held captive, I too am held captive. While my brothers and sisters are beaten, I too am beaten. This is the body of Christ, and I will not allow his body to be broken and separated by man-made borders. It’s time to abolish ICE.

If you want to support the occupation taking place, please donate to @ bird_poet on venmo. But, most importantly: DO SOMETHING. Do something more than calling your reps. Make a scene. Make yourself ungovernable. They don’t need to “hear our demands.” They need to meet our demands. We need to take their power away from them. This will keep happening if we don’t do something more than waiting to vote.