Iraq Veterans Against the War have adopted mud stencils in their tactics! It has been inspiring to see how the technique that Jesse Graves popularized through his website has been employed in social justice campaigns, ranging from prison issues to environmental issues to anti-war struggles.

“Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans For Peace held a living memorial to honor the sacrifices made by all those killed or wounded in war. The memorial highlighted the hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting for or denied benefits from the Veterans Administration. It also payed tribute to the untold number of civilian deaths and the millions of displaced people, overwhelmingly comprised of women and children, by war.

During the memorial IVAW members used mud to stencil the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in Pittsburgh. The mud was a metaphor for the way in which veterans and all victims of war that have been historically and currently are treated like dirt while others profit.
Jose Vasquez, Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War stated, “We have come to Pittsburgh during the G20 summit because economic structures across the globe have failed. They do not work for the average person and bring about war through competition for scarce resources. We refuse to give our lives or take the lives of others for the profit.”
(photos by John Orlando. text from Aaron Hughes)