Report on "Sort Of" Meeting with Archbishop of Yor

[Andrew Johnson]

Report on "Sort Of" Meeting with Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu

Justin Walker contacted me once he had learned of Dr Sentamu's prayer vigil in York Minster. See

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4787855.stm

We decided we would try and speak with him and offer him a copy of David Ray Griffin's Book (New Pearl Harbor). We agreed to meet on Tuesday 15th Aug at 5pm at York Train Station, which we did.

Over a drink and a bite to eat, we discussed the latest developments in the movement and a possible strategy of approach to His Grace, and checked through the information we intended to give him. I had made a couple of DVD's - one with 3 talks by Professor Griffin and the other was the ST911 DVD I made, featuring Prof Jones and Kevin Ryan's lectures. I also included a 1 page synopsis of David Ray Griffin's new book "Christian Faith and the Truth behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action". I also included a printed copy of Prof Steve Jones’ paper.

We headed over to the Minster, arriving just before it was closing!! We found His Grace in one of the "side chapels" and the tent seen in the picture above was still there. Some people were talking to him and we kind of waited in the queue (short).

Justin then stepped forward and was met by a lady called Emma Loveridge, who was the Archbishop's PA. Justin tried earnestly for a few minutes to persuade her to let us speak with the Archbishop and discuss the information we had brought. Ms Loveridge insisted that His Grace was on a Prayer Vigil and would "not discuss business" at this time, but that we could possibly arrange something through the office for another time (or words to that effect). Justin repeated his appeal several times, but the same response was forthcoming. We explained that we had travelled some distance to meet with him, but this didn't have much effect. Once we had briefly described the nature of the information, she suggested we should contact the Foreign Office - we told her that (essentially) we had already done so.

She said that she would take the information we were offering and asked if there was a 1 page synopsis (there was).

I then asked Ms Loveridge if we could just speak with her and I then proceeded to describe some of the main points of evidence, such as the destruction of WTC7, and I mentioned the existence of ST911 and the fact that, once analysed, this evidence was extremely important to the Peace Process. I mentioned that we can now prove the BBC is covering up this information, because of the correspondence we have had with BBC News Director Helen Boaden.

I gave her the envelope and we urged her to review the information herself and asked that she would pass it on to His Grace at the appropriate time (now?!!?).

At that point, the Archbishop walked past us and we turned to thank him and shake his hand. Justin and I both managed to do this, but respecting what we had been asked by Emma Loveridge, this was all we said to him.

We were then advised the Minster was closing, so we had to leave. The whole exchange probably lasted less than 5 minutes.

Whilst the experience was rather frustrating, it was clear that Ms Loveridge was doing what she was supposed to do. Also, she was open to us and agreed to look at what we presented.

Justin was quite frustrated that he hadn't managed to speak with His Grace directly, but I suggested that the event had unfolded exactly as it was meant to - especially because we only just got there in time.

We wandered round the outside of the Minster and then a slightly surreal episode began, just after we sat on a bench. First, a lady came and asked us for some change towards her bus fare so that she could get home (we gave her some). Then a man dressed like a monk and behaving like a ranting Tom Baker came and sat down and talked to us. He asked us what we were doing that day and we explained our "mission". He said he had wanted to "share his Christian faith with the Archbishop", whatever that meant. We started to talk about 9/11, but he told us he was very intelligent. I asked him if he knew how many towers fell on 9/11 but he said he wouldn't answer the question, because he felt he was being drawn into the answer I wanted to give (!?!) So I answered for him and the surreal conversation unfolded. He said he had heard something about 9/11 from some people in Italy he knew. and could we give him some facts because he was stupid (!!). We told him our names and he said he was called Francis. We then started to tell a few jokes because he said he wasn't interested in the WTC towers. After a few jokes, we got up to leave, but then he said again "give me some facts". Justin gave some. I asked him if he wanted to see the pictures of demolition squibs. He said "yes", so I showed him them from my folder, along with a picture of the thermite reaction. He knew that molten aluminium was silver and so correctly stated the yellow metal flowing from the towers must be iron. We then talked for a short while about motives etc, but the conversation skipped around rather randomly and so we decided to head off for another drink before going back to the station. It was a surreal episode, we both agreed!!

So, that was a surreal end to a surreal day....

Thanks to Justin for the initiative - I wouldn't have had the courage to do this alone.