I came across this newspaper clipping yesterday when I was sorting through buckets of memorabilia in the basement. The picture was taken by Russell Mant of The Ottawa Journal on October 12, 1976 and published the following day.

It’s the sort of thing photographers love to catch. Amnesty International had organized a demonstration in front of three Ottawa embassies, Brazil, Morocco and the Soviet Union, to draw attention to their human rights record. As part of the demonstration a blindfolded group member was subject to a mock firing squad execution.

As that was happening, a real funeral procession passed by and Mant snapped this picture. Demonstrations are pretty much an everyday occurrence in Ottawa, but the passing hearse added to the drama. The people from Amnesty couldn’t have asked for better publicity.

Memories fade, but I remember that day, though, not surprisingly, my memory differs from that found in The Ottawa Journal (which ceased publication in 1980). If you had asked me, I would have said the mock execution took place in front of the Soviet Embassy. Looking at Google Streetview and comparing it to the photo, I see it was indeed in front of the Brazilian Embassy.

I’d blame my memory failing me as I get older, but in truth it isn’t that. I was there, but I didn’t notice the hearse and the funeral procession.

I can hear you thinking I must be oblivious to what goes on around me, since, as you can see in the picture, it was pretty hard to miss. I do have a reason though.

I was the one wearing the blindfold.