Is there a thread on this yet? I didn’t find one, but if there is, please merge.
What are your plans for October 18th? What is planned in your city? If you are going to attend a protest, are you worried about your safety?
So far I’ve read that there are 2,500 protests scheduled. There will likely be others that haven’t been linked to the Indivisible site.
It’s been estimated that 6 million people participated in the protests in June. This one is on track to exceed that number of participants.
The discussion about whether such protests even amount to a hill of beans is going on elsewhere on the board. I’m more interested in what is happening in your city and what the mood is locally where y’all live.
Carpooling with friends in Roseville, CA. I bought two signs & will make a third (maybe even post them here if I get around to it).
I have no illusions that this will make any of the Project 2025 crowd rethink their “vision” for the USA. It will help show that there are a whole lot of people who are really unhappy with the way things are going. And make me feel slightly better.
We’re going to the one in Boston. I’m not worried, but my wife, the worrier in our family, is a bit anxious that there may be violence at some of the events somewhere.
The national organizers are asking people to go to the “hub cities” if possible, to have the biggest media impact, but going to one that is smaller but more convenient for you is better than not going at all.
Here’s how to find the ones closest to you.
If you love America and want to slow down Trump’s march to dictatorship, going to one of these rallies is an easy way to make a statement and have some effect.
I think this map is interesting. From the “No Kings” link, here are protests (dots) they have on record so far in Texas. You would expect clusters around Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. But note how many there are in small towns, too.
I participated in the last one, but not sure about the upcoming one. As it happens, our dog training class is starting the same day just before the local rally. At least I can wear my No Kings t-shirt.
There are two San Diego protest sites close to me in safe areas. I’m going to one that’s close to my work site. I’m very watchful and plan timely exits for going, in case untoward circumstances occur there. It’s not a repeated site so I plan to go beforehand to check the layout.
There’s a lot of talk about it in the ongoing general thread about peaceful protest, I’ll cross post for you.
As for myself, I did mention in the Polls thread (there is a poll about attendence) that I was probably going to go but had concerns. The most minor of these is, yes, the danger than a nutjob will shoot things up, and juuuust above that worry is that someone will drive a car/truck through the crowds. It’s there, in the back of my mind, but it’s really minor, even in conservative Colorado Springs.
Why I said probably is that ten days later, I’ll be doing a short trip to visit family and friends in @ThelmaLou 's general area (I’d visit, but it’s a lightning trip and I’m staying with friends, sorry) which means a huge crowd of mostly unmasked individuals and then visiting a bunch of airports isn’t the wisest option. But screw it, we’re masking up (my wife and I) and attending.
I’m planning to go to the one in Ferndale, Michigan, a suburb in Metro Detroit. It will be my first. I’m pretty much terrified, but Ferndale is extremely progressive. I doubt there will be much trouble. I’m mostly worried about parking.
I’m going to stand by my friend who talked me into it.
Wave a little US flag! Buy an overpriced little US flag from one of the vendors there and support a local small business!
Make a sign! Use lightweight sign “poles” like thin cardboard tubes or pool noodles, rather than potentially hazardous blunt instruments like wooden sticks or metal poles, if you want to build in some sign support.
Take pictures of the signs you like! There are some really funny and clever ones that people come up with, and no, you won’t actually remember what they said after the event.
Have a good yell on the slogan chants! Yelling gets the stress out! When was the last time you had a good yell?
The National organization put this word out, but here in Boston, the local organization didn’t like it because yellow was the color of the Stars of David the Nazis forced Jews to wear, and because it is also reportedly the color that Proud Boys use.
We learned this after my wife bought a yellow sweatshirt specifically for the rally.
Somehow I don’t think anybody’s going to be mistaking us for the Proud Boys? Be hilarious if some PB counterprotestors showed up wearing yellow and got mistaken for part of the larger group, though.
I live in a state capitol and will be attending the one here with a sign. My 80-year-old neighbor wants to go with me on the bus and bring her small dog. It’ll be a big trip for her, but she’s propelled by rage.
I anticipate a good turnout despite light rain. I’m not too worried about some jerk with a quirk and a gun. I point and laugh at the loonies riding past yelling obscenities and waving Confederate flags., but there are very few of them and many, many of us.
Yellow, huh? Guess I’ll be wearing some Wolverine pride then. Hopefully that’s not too controversial. (People around these parts tend to be Michigan State fans.)
