Thousands March Over Brooklyn Bridge to Rescue 'Invisible Children'

About 3,000 people marched over the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday afternoon and spent the night camped out in Fulton Ferry/ Empire State Park in DUMBO.

The New York City march was part of an event called the RESCUE that the organization Invisible Children staged in 100 cities around the world . Thousands of people symbolically 'abducted' themselves to stand in solidarity with abducted children forced to fight as soldiers by an African warlord named Joseph Kony. His rebel troops in Uganda and the Congo kidnap children while they sleep and force them into a life of violence and death. If they try to escape, they are killed.

In the last two decades, Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children. What they are forced to do turns them into monsters. Kony has been declared the world's first war criminal, indicted by the International Criminal Court.

Filmmakers Laren Poole, Jason Russell and Bobby Bailey traveled to Uganda where they were shocked to see thousands of children fleeing abduction. They made a film about it (see it here) -- and started a movement, the RESCUE/ Invisible Children, which ran yesterday's events.

Poole led the New York City marchers over the Bridge into DUMBO.

Above: Filmmaker Laren Poole, holding a laptop, live-blogs the crowd's march into Fulton Ferry / Empire State Park in DUMBO.

Stars like producer/director Jon Turteltaub, actor Chris Lowell ("Private Practice”) and Yin Chang ("Gossip Girl”) also joined the New York contingent.

To find out how you can help, visit Invisiblechildren.com.

UPDATE: The Brooklyn Eagle has more about the Brooklyn march here.

Photos copyright MK Metz 2009; contact: macrobrooklynATgmail.com
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