Nearly 7 million people showed up to the No Kings rallies on Saturday to protest Trump administration policies and to stand up for freedom of speech and against fascism in America.
I was one of them.
Oh, no applause, please. I had to do something – if, for nothing else, my psychological well-being.
Though in actuality, it was much more than that. When donating money, calling and writing your representatives, and challenging strangers at the supermarket or at a random dinner party – all of which I do frequently (Note: And the latter two as recently as last week) – are not enough, it helps to get off your lazy, whiny, doom-scrolling ass, take to the streets and be counted.
In truth, it’s the least you can do for your nearly 250 year-old country, an experiment in democracy that was never expected to succeed.
As cynical as I am, it amazed me to hear the current Speaker of the House of Representatives publicly call this demonstration of freedom a “Hate America Rally.”
Demonstration and Dissent are the literal means by which our Democracy was founded. #TheThreeDs
Or as one of many hundreds of truly clever signs at the rally I attended in L.A. at Roxbury Park noted: “ NO KINGS – Our Founding Fathers Demanded It.”
The majority of the 2600 #NoKings rallies were in the United States but some extended worldwide – through almost all of Europe, as well as to Japan, Costa Rica and, of course, our neighbors, Canada and Mexico. (Note: Whatever they’re thinking, just quadruple it for me).
I attended with my sister, one of my favorite people in the world.
One of my other favorites, my husband, was down for the count after dental surgery but urged me to go as I planned instead of staying home with him because he thought it would brighten me up.
Also, I don’t know how much fun it would be post-surgery to have someone next to you simultaneously doom scrolling and cursing at the television while watching news coverage on MSNBC, so it could’ve been a bit of self-preservation.
Nevertheless, he was correct as usual.
I have long believed our political situation in the T—p Era is not the Dems vs. the Repubs or progressive vs. conservative. Rather, it so obviously seems to be democracy vs. fascism; multi-culturalism vs. white supremacy; Christian nationalism vs. everyone else
And on Saturday it was reconfirmed to me thousands of times over that I have by far not been the only person to feel this way.
Several thousand or more surrounded me and my sister, carrying signs and placards, chatting us up or chanting through bullhorns or to passersby variations of much the same thing.
Not only that, the pithy original slogan I had thought up to put on my own sign (Note: Had I thought to buy the posterboard and marker ahead of time) – “THIS QUEEN SAYS NO KINGS” – was literally being held high in the air by another queen right behind us.
Old people, young people, middle-aged people and people of the kind of indeterminate age you can only encounter in Los Angeles. They were all there. Wealthy, middle-class and I venture to say the not much money class. Millionaires and those on fixed incomes.
How do I know?
Well, see, contrary to popular belief, here in L.A. we do speak to each other. A really well-off woman shared with us a story of marrying a very wealthy guy decades ago when she was “younger and 20 pounds lighter” who was in real estate. Said guy took her to an industry event, introduced her to T—p and, as she put it, “he felt me up all over. He was disgusting even then!”
Of course, she didn’t just volunteer out of nowhere. She only came out with it when I shared that my sister and I were from his hometown in Queens.
Then there was the 80 plus year old smiley senior woman who several times drove her car around the block so she could honk in support of us protesters. Later on in the day she walked by on foot brandishing a ticket a policeman gave her for “cruising” in her car, and lamented about how she would pay it on a fixed income from a social security check of $748 per month she wasn’t even sure she was getting.
I wish that I’d had more than $23 bucks in my wallet or thought to say something encouraging before she moved on and found comfort somewhere else. Which she certainly did, given the crowd, the people and the “vibe.” (Note: #Bitchin’).
Speaking of comfort, you haven’t lived until you’ve stood at a curb holding a sign and received that many hundreds of wide smiles and waves from people in passing cars, that many extended and staccato car horns of support (Note: Sooo many different tones!, and found yourself met with more thumbs up and nods of approval than you have ever received in…well, your entire life.)
My favorite came from a handsome cop in an official Los Angeles police cruiser who tipped his hat slightly and nodded in approval of what we were all doing. I took it to mean, even though I’m in uniform, I still believe in democracy.
As did those in Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas, Toyotas, Hondas, Chryslers, Ford Trucks, Jeeps, VWs and various non-descript mini-vans and falling apart Kias.
In fact, the only negative reaction came from two different women in two different Porsches an hour apart. One gave a thumbs down and the other gave us the finger.
Make of that what you will but don’t give it too much thought.
Americans are awake, alert, angry and pissed-off.
Especially in L.A.
Not to mention Creative.
Man, once again the signs.
My favorite was the woman holding a large poster with a small photo of Anne Frank surrounded by the big bolded words:
WHY PROTEST? Because It’s Easier Than Hiding A Family In My Attic…..
L’Chaim, America.
And here are some snapshots.
notes from a chair 