We are not just the users of cultural tools. We are the passers-on. And whether we like it or not, we will be judged by the sharp tools we allow to proliferate.

After a reporter asked Donald Trump about the “eyesore” tent, he ordered it dismantled. The Peace Vigil, which had outlasted multiple administrations, wars, and Cold War threats, was silenced because its persistence offended the aesthetics of power.

It was a communion of purpose, divided by a barrier but united by conscience. Police reinforcements poured in—helmets, zip ties, radio chatter. But no violence came from our side. That was the point. This was not about provocation. It was about presence. A moral interruption. Civil disobedience at its clearest.