Since 1981, the White House has had five different presidents, 30 State of the Union addresses, and one common neighbor. Her name is Concepcion Picciotto, and she has lived in Lafayette Square on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. since Aug. 1, 1981.
Picciotto, born Concepción Martín, came to the United States at age 18 from Virgo, Spain in 1963. She originally worked in New York at the Spanish embassy. Three years later she married an Italian businessman; but a bitter divorce resulted in her losing her home, her daughter, and her job. From there she became inspired by numerous northeastern activists, including William “Doubting” Thomas and Norman Mayer.
“The police constantly threatened me. I was very scared, moved from one city to another,” said Picciotto. “Finally I said to myself, ‘You have nothing to run away from.'”
Along with Thomas, she began her protest in 1981; in which she sets up a “tent” (umbrella with a tarp over it), painted peace rocks, and signs pleading for an end to nuclear war arms. This protest has been going on nonstop for 30 years, making it the longest continuous protest in U.S.
history.
“Unless humanity eliminates nuclear weapons,” said Picciotto, “nuclear weapons will eliminate humanity.”
