I attended the RingOut observance with Maggie. Although there were several police officers in the area, they were unobtrusive. I contribute this to the event's emphasis on peace.

The event's organizers wore orange hats and passed out instructions and bells. The demonstration was supposed to be held in a respectful silence (except for the bells), and participants were supposed to follow the cues of the Bellwethers. However, the bell ringers followed their own rhythms--some adhered to individual group patterns, and others rang to their own beat.

I do not consider the event to be a failure; It just seemed too be too difficult to master patterns and such without rehearsal. I definitely liked the idea of the demonstration, and the emphasis of peace that it presented.

Maggie and I passed out flyers (her husband & Emily, the Columbia journalist student, were with us) and then hung back waiting to utilize our information skills.

We then walked to the Criminal Court building on 100 Center Street, where I inquired about Matthew. Before I could enter the building, my bag had to be checked for bomb-making chemicals. I also had to go through a metal detector, and my bag went through an x-ray machine. My camera and telephone were checked because they did not allow you to bring phones with you.

I talked to persons from the National Lawyers Guild, both by telephone and at the courthouse. When I left, Matthew had not been released. They informed me that only 60-something persons had been released at that time. I looked at the posted list of recent arraigners, and did not see his name, so I went home.