White House Peace Vigil

The White House Peace Vigil is an ongoing protest calling for global nuclear disarmament and world peace, located directly across from the United States White House, which has demonstrated continuously since 1981.^[1][2] Volunteers staff the vigil 24/7 and it is widely considered to be the longest continuous act of political protest in U.S. history.^[3]

The White House Peace Vigil, June 2006

The White House Peace Vigil
The Vigil, staffed by volunteers Philipos Melaku-Bello (left) and Joe Brown (right), with Lafayette Square in the background, March 2025. The Vigil facing the White House, March 2025.
Start date	June 3, 1981 (1981-06-03)
Duration	44 years and 2 months
Location	Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C., United States
Cause	Anti-war protest and peace vigil
Organisers	Philipos Melaku-Bello (2016-present), Concepción Picciotto (2009-2016), William Thomas (1981-2009)

History

The vigil was launched by activist William Thomas as an anti-nuclear weapons protest outside the White House in Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. on June 3, 1981.^[4] He was later joined by Concepción Picciotto in August 1981 and Ellen Benjamin, who he later wed, in April 1984.^[5] Over the years various other activists have joined, including those from the Catholic Worker Movement, Plowshares Movement and Occupy D.C.^[6][7]

After Thomas's death in 2009, the vigil was maintained around-the-clock by Concepción Picciotto and many other volunteers until her death in 2016. Since this time, Philipos Melaku-Bello has led the vigil, which must be staffed at all times in order to avoid being dismantled by authorities. Many dedicated volunteers such as Melaku-Bello dedicate 40 hours per week or more to the vigil.^[8]

The vigil continued to be staffed by activists during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.^[9] In 2013, the Peace Vigil was disassembled while it was briefly left unattended. It was restored the same day.^[10]

Influence

Thomas and the White House Peace Vigil inspired U.S. House of Representatives Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to introduce the Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act, that would require the United States to disable and dismantle its nuclear weapons when all other nations possessing nuclear weapons do likewise.^[11] The Congresswoman has been introducing a version of the bill since 1994.^[11]

In the media

The Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue, a 2012 documentary directed by Tim Wilkerson and commissioned by the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, recounts the lives of anti-nuclear activists Thomas, Concepción Picciotto and Norman Mayer.^[12]

See also

Related Links

• Countdown to Zero, 2010 documentary
• Parliament Square Peace Campaign
• Brian Haw
• List of peace activists

Other long-running protests

• Madres de Plaza de Mayo (Argentina, ongoing every Thursday since April 30, 1977)

• Wednesday demonstration (South Korea, ongoing every Wednesday since January 8, 1992)