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lydamorehouseI just got back from a protest march sponsored by the Minnesota Immigrants Rights Action Committee. I'll be curious if they post on their Facebook page the number of people who turned out, but just eyeballing I'd guess a couple hundred..? I'm really not very good at guestimating crowds, but it was a pretty good turn out considering how cold it is (and how close to the Thanksgiving holiday.) We met up at the K-Mart parking lot near Nicollet and Lake Street and marched east on Lake somewhere past Chicago, did a little loop behind the hospital (?) and then back up Lake.
I learned a few chants in Spanish and generally enjoyed the usual yelling of things like "What does Democracy look like? THIS is what Democracy looks like!", and there were new ones specific to the President-Elect that I no longer can remember, but I'm sure will echo in my dreams. Speaking of echoing we passed under the underpass and our whole group sounded like some cacophony of noise. Probably this sound horrible to some of you out there, but, being an extrovert, just walking in the crowd energized me. Many passing cars waved, honked, and gave the peace sign. I think one guy heckled us, but he was a rare exception. It was coolest when the city bus drivers honked. That made everyone cheer. People came out of their workplaces to watch us pass. Phone cameras were up and recording everywhere.
We actually had a police escort, which was unexpected, but cool.
Of all the things I've done so far since the election, I'd have to say marching was the most energizing/fun. Like a lot of the things I've been doing, I have no idea if it's at all effective.
I also called both Senators for Minnesota (because they BOTH happen to be on the Senate Judiciary Committee) and asked them to oppose the appointment of Jeff Sessions. OMG THAT WAS HARD. I completely dorked out at the end of my recorded message to Franken's DC office (his MN box was full) and then spaced in the middle of the script I'd prepared while talking to a live human staffer at Kloubcar's, but she waited patently for me to remember the word "OPPOSE." As an extrovert, my voice doesn't shake, but I still need a script (CLEARLY) or I start to blather and/or space out. Calling is a LOT less fun than waving signs and yelling, though I suspect that calling is a lot more useful at the end of the day. Especially targeted calling like that.
So now after that chilly walk up and down Lake Street, I think I will take a warm bath.
Up the revolution! (I do have to say, it was kind of fun to be at a march supported Twin Cities IWW General Defense Committee Local 14.)
I learned a few chants in Spanish and generally enjoyed the usual yelling of things like "What does Democracy look like? THIS is what Democracy looks like!", and there were new ones specific to the President-Elect that I no longer can remember, but I'm sure will echo in my dreams. Speaking of echoing we passed under the underpass and our whole group sounded like some cacophony of noise. Probably this sound horrible to some of you out there, but, being an extrovert, just walking in the crowd energized me. Many passing cars waved, honked, and gave the peace sign. I think one guy heckled us, but he was a rare exception. It was coolest when the city bus drivers honked. That made everyone cheer. People came out of their workplaces to watch us pass. Phone cameras were up and recording everywhere.
We actually had a police escort, which was unexpected, but cool.
Of all the things I've done so far since the election, I'd have to say marching was the most energizing/fun. Like a lot of the things I've been doing, I have no idea if it's at all effective.
I also called both Senators for Minnesota (because they BOTH happen to be on the Senate Judiciary Committee) and asked them to oppose the appointment of Jeff Sessions. OMG THAT WAS HARD. I completely dorked out at the end of my recorded message to Franken's DC office (his MN box was full) and then spaced in the middle of the script I'd prepared while talking to a live human staffer at Kloubcar's, but she waited patently for me to remember the word "OPPOSE." As an extrovert, my voice doesn't shake, but I still need a script (CLEARLY) or I start to blather and/or space out. Calling is a LOT less fun than waving signs and yelling, though I suspect that calling is a lot more useful at the end of the day. Especially targeted calling like that.
So now after that chilly walk up and down Lake Street, I think I will take a warm bath.
Up the revolution! (I do have to say, it was kind of fun to be at a march supported Twin Cities IWW General Defense Committee Local 14.)