Community Corner

Peace Abbey's Gandhi Statue Missing After Occupy Boston Eviction

Where is Peace Abbey's Gandhi Statue?

When many of the Occupy Boston protesters left their Dewey Square encampment last night per order of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, so did the statue of Mohandas Gandhi owned by the Peace Abbey in Sherborn.

The Gandhi statue is missing according to Lewis Randa, director of the Peace Abbey, who thinks that it was taken in order protect it from being destroyed.

“Well, I don’t have it and we’re not sure who has it,” Randa said. “We decided not to pick it up last night and we were requested to leave it there because it served as a reminder of the importance of non-violence, and in the midst of the turmoil of the moment after the eviction notice was given by the mayor I felt that if ever there was a time Gandhi needed to stick it out through the night it was then, so we left it.”

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Randa found out that Gandhi was missing this morning is hoping that the statue was taken to avoid it being destroyed by the city's clean up crews. As part of the clean up effort at Dewey Square, anything left behind is considered protest material and is thrown out, Randa said.

“Apparently this morning when they were taking more things out they understood that the Gandhi statue would be destroyed as protest material, so I contacted the mayor’s office," said Randa. "Boston Police had informed them that we would be down there to get it and then the sergeant called and said, ‘Well it’s not here. We’re not sure where it went.’ So they’re going to contact me when they find out where Gandhi ended up.”

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Randa is staying optimistic that Gandhi will be returned.

“I think it was the good nature of the protesters that led to his disappearance,” Randa said. “I can’t imagine anyone would take it for any other reason.”

If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of the statue contact the Peace Abbey at 508-655-2143 or by email at info@peaceabbey.org.


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