You probably saw Concepcion Picciotto if you visited the White House over the past 35 years or so. She lived in a camp, in Lafayette Park, right across the street from the official home of U.S. presidents. Picciotto was a peace activist. Holding up homemade signs with anti-war messages, she kept a vigil in the park through rain and snow and heatwaves. She opposed war, nuclear weapons and violence against children. She died January 25 at N Street Village, a shelter for homeless women in Washington. The Washington Post says she had the longest continuous act of political protest in the United States. When she died, Concepcion Picciotto was believed to be about 80 years old. She was also known as “Connie” or “Conchita.” She came to the United States as a Spanish immigrant when she was 18. Through the years she spoke English with an accent. The small woman wore a wig and a scarf over a metal helmet.
