On April 3, 2026, a coalition of Chicago-based organizations, headed by Mennonite Action Chicago, organized a vigil to honor those who have died in ICE custody in the USA and by the extreme violence of Israel and the US against the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran. We particularly called attention to the nefarious involvement of the Palantir corporation and its AI surveillance and targeting. We are outraged at the use of our tax dollars for this destructive technology.
For the action I rewrote the lyrics of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” a protest song from my youth. I’m making it available here to the movement against war and authoritarianism; feel free to adapt it for your own actions.
Original lyrics and music by Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson
Adapted by Ruth Goring
Where have all the olives gone, long time passing
Where have all the olives gone, long time ago
Where have all the olives gone? Bulldozed under, every one
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where have all the young men gone, long time passing
Where have all the young men gone, long time ago
Where have all the young men gone? Hunted down by Israel’s guns
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where have all the doctors gone, long time passing
Where have the reporters gone, long time ago
Where have all the teachers gone? Palantir tracked them, every one
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where have all the children gone, long time passing
Where have all the children gone, long time ago
Where have all the children gone? Fallen under Israel’s bombs
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where are the people of Tehran, long time passing
Where are those of Lebanon, long time ago
And where the schoolgirls of Iran? Fallen under our own bombs
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where have all our neighbors gone, long time passing
Where have all our neighbors gone, long time ago
Where have all our neighbors gone? ICE abducted every one
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
Where have all our taxes gone, long time passing
Where have all our taxes gone, long time ago
Where have all our taxes gone? Gone to killing everyone
Oh when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn
We ended the vigil with an exuberant demonstration of dabke, Palestine’s iconic style of dancing. Participants were invited in to learn some steps and quickly formed a great circle in what I’m calling defiant delight.
Ruth Goring 