Maybe just go but be aware of what’s happening around you. If there’s a heavy police presence keep some distance from wherever they are and just watch. You’ll feel like you were part of it. You actually would be part of it because there’s nothing that says you have to chant slogans, hold signs, or do anything other than just show up. That’s pretty much what I’ve decided to do. I’d suck at living in the 60s, I guess.
Sounds specific enough to me, gotta say.
Getting almost an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” undertone from that.
Where in Tennessee? I know folks there
Yeah. Not real smart.
I don’t understand. If you can’t, out of fear, not even post as who you are on these FB pages, what’s the point?
You’re not standing up for a cause. It’s more of a hiding situation.
You said you cannot walk far. Ummm…can you run?
Can you protect yourself bodily against people bent on hurting you? Maybe a group of people.
Don’t go.
This board here, skews middle aged to older. Many with withering, on a good day, medical ailments. (Some with mental problems)
Many with no broad support, friends or family.
Some with no funds to pay for an misdemeanor charge or excess medical care.
Yeah. Unless you can cover all that with no problem.
Don’t go.
If you can’t go, responsibly and with full knowledge you may be putting yourself in a world of hurt. Not needing any back up.
Don’t go.
Give another way.
Maybe be the guy who comes in and bails one person out.
Sit down and write your congress person.
Donate to and volunteer for immigrant services.
If you’re sick and old, stay home.
Don’t go.
ETA: who do you think is spreading this is a Pride event? Yep. MAGAS.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t have to physically attend every event.
If you really WANT to, call a couple of bail bondsmen and tell them your predicament. See if you can pre-pay with them or something. If you have no one to call, it’s not a bad idea to have that on account anyway.
If you want to go to a protest in future, get involved with one of the organizations like Women’s March or Indivisible. They will have safety groups and contact lists. They will check in who made it home safely etc. And they will be there to bail people out.
It wasn’t bigots beating up healthy young men that turned the country in favor of the civil rights movement.
It was bigots beating up and threatening and killing little girls.
Maybe it’s those of us who are old and sick who ought to show up.
I’m not going to tell anybody they have to show up tomorrow. Everybody’s in different places, everybody’s in different situations, everybody’s got different tolerances. And certainly there are other things people can do. But I am going to say— if we’re scared now, how scared are we going to be if these people go unopposed?
Yes. Go ahead and go.
Make sure your ducks are lined up. Make you you can afford it, on many levels. In every way.
Don’t take your dog or the young kids. Please.
I couldn’t go if there was one anywhere near me.
I’m looking for a place to donate that might help a bit. Our transiet farm workers are getting here, slowly.
There are organizations that specifically target them.
Rutherford County.
The protest/parade day starts out awfully. Democratic lawmakers are shot.
Breaking news thread on the same event for those who want to follow up on that:
Yes, a terrible start to the day. (And a thread of its own.)
But people turned out in their MILLIONS. This thread compiles hundreds of photos of huge protests from all over the country:
We had a great turnout in tiny Black Mountain, NC today. Most of the passing cars gave us positive honks.
I have a lot of friends around Bristol and Johnson City. Sounds like it won’t help but if you pm me, I’ll send you my contact info and if you ever get in trouble over standing up to the fascists, I will do my best to help you.
I went to the rally in Rock Island, Illinois. I didn’t even see any uniformed police officers, although they may have been plainclothes, and they actually weren’t necessary, except maybe for medical emergencies if anybody had one. It was totally peaceful, and really a celebration of freedom from my vantage point.
Did you go? Did you get home OK if so?
I’ve read estimated 8.6 million protesters at last count.
That’s a very kind offer, @madmonk28 .
I have my moments.
I was heartened to see there were about 150-200 No Kings protesters in blood red Shawano, WI today. Those are real crowd numbers, not made-up Trump crowd numbers. Only saw one counter-protester across the street with a bull horn. He was pretty much ignored. Saw only one uniformed cop, he seemed mostly concerned with traffic control. Crowd was mostly retirement age with a surprising number of retired military who wore apparel indicating their status.
Shawano County voted 69% MAGAt. That’s just the cult members who bothered to vote. If you add in the folks who didn’t vote but still back MAGA it would be fairly accurate to say that the county is 90% MAGAt. And that jives with my experience. As I said before, aside of immediate family, a few long time friends and transplants from out of the area, EVERYBODY I know is is either full-on MAGAt or is at least MAGAt adjacent.
I was surprised at how chill the crowd was. Even the one counter-protester seemed civil, from what little I was able to hear of his schpiel. It was more like a block party than a protest. Some people brought coolers of bottled water to hand out. One of the main presenters is a well-known local folk artist who led the group in songs. The camaraderie was palpable.
And then I come home to find out that murdering Democratic senators is now a thing.
Isnt Shawano the home of some weird anti-government/antisocial church that was involved in a murder for hire of a city official?