The Prison Break

So we did it….we got out! The prison break happened, but in the most dramatic fashion!

We went out to Barrio San Francisco and joined loads of young people in a march through their barrio against violence and for peace! It was amazing. My week has been gearing up to the big march on friday, so this was like a bonus one, or even a warm up one!

We came round the corner (as we were a little late) and hit the march, in all its colourful and noisy glory! Suddenly I was back…and in my element again. It was so easy to enjoy it so much and feel so much part of it, that you begin to forget you are marching through one of the most dangerous barrios in the world

Except it was not possible to forget, as we were flanked by the very police the march was protesting against . The police were carrying huge guns, and behind the march was 4 rows on police marching as a block. The irony must have been lost on them

Still you soon got used to them…until the rally at the end of the march. We all congregated in the main playground, and the young people released balloons and did some plays and dancing. One sketch involved mimicing a gang fight. They were great actors, so much so that when they pulled their fake gun out, the police reacted, instantly, and pulled theres ready to fire. It all happened in the blink of a very terrifying eye. Me and LG were in between the boys doing the play and the crowd of police…and for half a second as we turned to flee I genuinly thought they were going to open fire (and we would have been in the middle)

They didn’t. But it was a terrifying reminder of the reality of life here for young people. And so amazing to be with young people prepared to march to change it.