This is what MeFite democracy looks like! January 30, 2017 9:07 AM   Subscribe

Did you protest this weekend or in the previous weekend? If so, ✊! Let's keep it up! And let's share our experiences and/or pics, if you feel comfortable doing that!
posted by ignignokt to MetaFilter-Related at 9:07 AM (169 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite

I went to the Seattle airport protest. I wrote up my experience here. Spoiler alert: there is a lot of work to be done in helping people engage in activism safely.
posted by k8t at 9:36 AM on January 30, 2017 [27 favorites]


I'm going to write a check to the ACLU and make a donation to my friend Mirriam Seddiq's PAC. She started the American Muslim Women Political Action Committee in response to Trump suggesting women like her weren't allowed to speak up. She also recently helped out with the mess at Dulles (her facebook feed is full of stories).

I'm not much one for attending protests, but I'm there in spirit, and I am willing to put my dollars to work for those things I believe in.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:39 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


Yes! Our baby is six months old and has been to three protests already plus we're going to another one tonight. Yesterday we went to the White House and the Islamic Center and I carried a sign reading "Christians for Muslims" on one side and "Welcome / We Support You" in English and Arabic on the other. We saw a bunch of Mefites, both coordinated and by chance. Planning to go to the Supreme Court later.

It's both invigorating and exhausting; it's great to feel like you're taking action and uplifting to see how many other people are there to stand up for what's right but it's also so draining both physically and emotionally, especially because the process of change is so long and right now things are so bad that I'm worried that I'll feel like I literally need to protest almost every day, like most nights I'll grab the kraken from daycare, pick up a sign, and head back downtown. I don't know how we're going to manage that and I also don't know, with all the privilege we have, how we can live with ourselves if we don't. Also if it were up to me we'd do more singing in addition to chanting but whatever, that's a minor quibble.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:41 AM on January 30, 2017 [16 favorites]


I was at a letter-writing party, instead of the airports. (I sent a letter of apology to the people of Mexico for the hateful language of the new administration and its boondoggle wall. I also sent "thank you for foregoing the inauguration"letters)

Also, every time I tried to sign up for a lawyer shift at O'Hare, the shifts were already full. I'm going to keep trying. I've also been officially assigned to the immigration project at my tiny little court reform nonprofit, so, yay! Also, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, International Refugee Assistance Project, and National Immigration Law Center and Indivisible are having a call tonight about opposing the ban.

Tomorrow is #ResistTuesday --I'll be there in Chicago.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:45 AM on January 30, 2017 [11 favorites]


I wasn't able to make it out, but there were protests both days this weekend in Portland, fairly spontaneously on Saturday near the Convention Center and then off toward PDX, and a more organized one yesterday at the airport again. Local lawmakers showed up, it was noisy and good it sounds like. We're seeing a lot of militarized police response to protest stuff the last couple weeks which is worrying if not really shocking at this point; a lot of pressure on the new Mayor to rein that it but he's been coming off pretty both-sides-of-his-mouth on this stuff so far.

Got out to the marches last weekend, both the Women's March and the day before to a much smaller but not-tiny anti-fascist march downtown. Wrote about it (and some other stuff), took some pictures.

There was also a Tech Solidarity meeting in town, part of a running series of events Maciej Ceglowski has been organizing since the election, and it was good to get into a room with a lot of other folks (including several MeFites, hi!) who wanted to talk and learn about how they can from a tech-ish perspective try and help both globally and locally with everything that's been going on. Should be be a monthly thing in a bunch of cities going forward; organizing twitter account is @TechSolidarity.

It has been really heartening and energizing to see folks getting together and doing things, whether in organized marches/demos or in small groups making local stuff better or fighting/mitigating the damage in concrete ways. It has been for me a valuable buoy at a time when I am struggling not to lapse into a kind of helpless anger at the way things are going. Good on everybody getting out, reaching out, showing up, and carrying on.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:47 AM on January 30, 2017 [10 favorites]


Also, for anybody who missed it, there's a great MetaTalk thread full of both planning and experiences from the Women's March weekend here, and over on the blue folks are currently discussing the planning etc. for an upcoming scientist/STEM march event.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:50 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


We had family stuff going on (including a flight scheduled to leave right at the end of the sanctioned protest time that finally wheels-upped three hours late, NBD), but I have a couple of things on the ticky-tock for this week. Mostly, I just want to share the best thing anyone on my Facebook feed has said in the last week-plus:

My personality defects and I have decided not to be perfect before taking action.
posted by Etrigan at 9:55 AM on January 30, 2017 [19 favorites]


At JFK Airport

No hate, no fear - Iranians are welcome here.
No hate, no fear - Somalis are welcome here.
No hate, no fear - Afghans are welcome here.

posted by andoatnp at 10:05 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


I haven't been able to attend any protests yet but for the first time in my life I have given to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. In fact my wife and I decided to not buy each other big-ticket Christmas gifts this year and instead made a sizable donation to the ACLU, in addition to the ones we'd already made separately.

I am torn between wanting to tune out and wanting to stay informed. I am grateful for my friends on MeFi and Twitter who are active in one form or another. It saddens me to see so many normally-fun people constantly posting depressing news but I totally understand. I'm trying hard to maintain some sense of normalcy myself, but it's difficult.

I'm also trying to be kinder to everyone these days. 'cept Nazis because fuck those guys.
posted by bondcliff at 10:10 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]


I protested in Paris last weekend, and joined a Meetup group that organises coordinated pro-European public actions across European cities.
posted by ellieBOA at 10:11 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


✅ I have protested the fascist regime with this user in the real world.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:16 AM on January 30, 2017 [47 favorites]


While I've loved sciatrix's threads about what we're doing to keep our activism up and going, for some reason I haven't felt comfortable posting what I'm about to say. It seemed. . .too dramatic, I guess? I just feel shy talking about it.

*clears throat* Anyway. I fucking love my work - it's my passion, my obsession, my joy. Unfortunately my job - which is an application of my work, and thus not the same - has been in the petroleum industry. And while I make the joke often that I'm a petroleum geologist by day and a climate change researcher by night (because it's the same goddamn science!) it's increasingly bothered me, even though I've long thought I - along with some of my other colleagues who feel similarly - could change things from within. And it's been really important to me as a woman in a male dominated industry to influence change from that aspect as well.

But after the election . . . working with those people who were so proud, so happy about Trump. . .working in that job and what it was going to mean. . . (I mean, I'm fucking scared as hell about what's going to happen to OSHA regs, let alone EPA and other environmental rules). . . . well. Also, how the fuck was I going to fight this regime if I was working 60-80 hours a week and gone all the time? So I talked things over with my spouse; we were in the extremely fortunate position that with some definite belt tightening we could get by on one salary.

So I quit my job. In protest. And that's exactly how I worded it when I sent out my letter.*

I have some contractual stuff I have to wind down, so I haven't been all done, and I've been in a lot of mourning - well, haven't we all, in a way; however, it's been really hard, giving up this very important part of my life and identity. And maybe I can go back some day, who knows. (I also recognize how incredibly fortunate and privileged we are to do this). But my mantra has been/is this is just more important than me. And it's producing some results. I've been doing an incredible amount of local activism. I've always done a lot of volunteering for some national/local environmental orgs, but I've stepped that up considerably. And I've done more climate research in the last 2 months than in the previous 6.

I've been to multiple protests here in Denver; I'm planning on the scientist march; and I've been part of a group scraping and archiving as much data as possible. But my real protest has been quitting my job and throwing all that energy, labor, and love into climate change research and activism on a variety of issues.

*and while some of the recipients no doubt rolled their eyes and I got some of the standard "just accept it" and "libtard temper tantrum"crap, because what I do is so specialized it's actually a loss that will have/already has an effect, and I'm *glad* - it's very satisfying nipping at them in their bubbles.
posted by barchan at 10:16 AM on January 30, 2017 [197 favorites]


I mentioned this in the big threads, but I just attended a candlelight vigil here in Nebraska. Here's a photo - there were approximately 300 people there, which was good for a short notice rally. Lincoln is pretty refugee friendly as many get settled here and there's support from the Lutheran and Episcopal churches. (I haven't found any Catholic groups doing it, which is interesting because the area has a lot of Catholics, but they tend to be the conservative type and maybe my suspicions are correct. Considering that my ultra-Catholic mom just told me that I should stop sending her stuff from the Jesuits about accepting refugees because "everybody knows they're the black sheeps of the church" I guess I should have guessed that attempt would fail.)

Anyway, I'm going to try to hook up with the local ACLU branch and a group called Nebraska Appleseed and see if I can keep things going. Going to call my reps today too. I've only made a few calls so far but I have to keep it up even if I'm nervous about it.
posted by PussKillian at 10:20 AM on January 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


We marched in St. Augustine, FL. I was expecting a few dozen people, and over 3,000 showed up. It was amazing. Here's my daughter June making her sign (her design; it read "I don't like Trump... I like thunderstorms).
posted by saladin at 10:22 AM on January 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


My husband and I bought ACLU sweatshirts this weekend (we already had a monthly donation). Both husband and toddler were sick so we did not go to the airport, although I wish we could have.

I donated $20 to CAIR in honor of my Trump-voting grandpa's 85th birthday, after we attended his birthday party yesterday and he joked to my (newly bearded) uncle that "You look like a Muslim!" so, uh, happy birthday, Grandpa. It's my penance for not actively engaging him on that. I was trying to wrangle a crying toddler and did not have the energy. I remind myself that 5 of his 6 children and all 8 of his grandchildren now vote Democrat, so his legacy leans left. I'll wear my ACLU shirt next time I see him.

My husband is going to try to leave work early tomorrow to attend a march in Minneapolis protesting the refugee ban. It will be his first protest! I will be staying home to get toddler dinner & ready for bed.

I find myself adopting a kind of "home front in WW2" mindset, like I'm settling in for the duration. Researching recipes that use less meat, refining skills like baking and mending, thinking of setting up my own Victory garden in the springtime. I started going to the gym five days a week now like I'm Sarah Connor preparing for the uprising. We're planning to go to the Science March in my state. I'm researching organizations where I could volunteer one or two evenings a month, after the little one goes to bed. It's strange how much has changed in just a week.
posted by castlebravo at 10:34 AM on January 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


It was FREEZING today here in Toronto but still a huge turnout at the US Consulate (which had shut down in anticipation of the protest), and then we marched to City Hall. There was also a vigil for the victims of yesterday's Quebec City mosque massacre. There is another vigil tonight at 6:30 on Gould St.
posted by chococat at 10:39 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]


I mentioned that I was at the SFO protest for a couple hours yesterday, but castlebravo's grandpa story reminded me that my very possibly Trump-voting mom sent me a Starbucks gift card for Lunar New Year and I used it to buy coffee for all the protesters. Gung hei fat choi, motherfuckers!

I'm working on my Protest Readiness - eventually I want to have a pussyhat and a variety of signs ready to go at all times, along with snacks, charger, etc, and a list of buddies I can text to see if anyone wants to join me.
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:54 AM on January 30, 2017 [14 favorites]


barchan, your story is quite moving. Thank you for sharing it.
posted by latkes at 11:00 AM on January 30, 2017 [8 favorites]


I went to SFO for the last hour or so of the demo yesterday. It felt good to bring my daughter who kept staying stuff like, "I want to do more of this!". This morning I tried to call my crap senator, Feinstein, but all California offices voicemails were full and DC just busy signal, so I sent an email basically saying, "Thank you for sponsoring a bill opposing Trump's Muslim ban. Now we need you to vote no on all Trump appointments. This is what your constituents demand".

My wife and I decided to sit down and choose a couple organizations to become monthly donors for. We'll be looking for local orgs building an alternative in California - ideally POC centered. Also on the legal front, I'm leaning toward donating to the National Lawyer's Guild since they are decidedly progressive and do a lot of legal observing at demonstrations. But we're still in the research stage.

I feel heartened by these mass marches. Someone at work who's never been to a march just asked me how to get involved.
posted by latkes at 11:18 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


I went to the protest in front of the White House yesterday. It was clear the place would be packed when the first metrobus headed down was too full to take on any more passengers. Lots of families with children, high schoolers, and college students. I don't think it was planned to be a march, but after an hour or so people started moving out of Lafayette Square, down Pennsylvania (which the police blocked off), past the regrettably leased Old Post Office Building, and up to the Capitol.

I talked to a few people there and all were clear that they were in it for the long haul (one sign read: "I guess these are my weekends now"). Can't believe it's not yet 2 weeks. They haven't even taken down all of the inauguration structures yet.

Photos:

Lafayette Square filled with people

A protestor at Lafayette (my favorite)

The view from Capitol Hill down Pennsylvania
posted by cichlid ceilidh at 11:19 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Oh, here's another thing I did today: talked to coworkers about it. I try to bring it up all the time: I don't want to let this become normal. I also printed out Micah Bazant's Refugees Welcome Here posters and I'm going to ask our clinic manager if we can post these on the doors to the clinic. Wish me luck.
posted by latkes at 11:21 AM on January 30, 2017 [4 favorites]


While my finances and mobility are currently limited until I get a paying job, I'm trying to get myself in a position in my volunteer job where I have access to climate and environmental data so I can help preserve, copy, and publicize it.
posted by thedarksideofprocyon at 11:44 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


My husband is one of 50 attorneys who took shifts at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport yesterday to speak to worried families waiting for their family members to come home. They were only able to directly help one person; however, in doing so, they revealed how petty the officers in other countries are also being about this. The case in particular was that of a student who was coming for their first year at university and because they didn't understand English well and wasn't sure of the whole process, the foreign officials labeled him as "disruptive" and flagged him on their side, to be picked up on our side.

That's wrong on an entirely different level, and I'm glad that these wrongs are also being addressed.
posted by TrishaLynn at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2017 [12 favorites]


Do you find that a lot of organization is happening on Facebook? I quit the site many years ago but am reluctantly thinking of reactivating since that is where Mrs Selfnoise is picking up the organization stuff locally.
posted by selfnoise at 11:58 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


I admit, I did first hear about Sunday's DC protest on Facebook, and then tonight's gathering at the Supreme Court with the House & Senate Democrats. Which bothers me, because I really dislike Facebook.
posted by theatro at 12:18 PM on January 30, 2017


barchan, I just memailed you because there are so many words. Well done. I do not think you've made a decision that you will regret, to thine own self be true and all that.

Well done.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:22 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


I wrote a bit about my experience at the Women's March in the first thread, We march for Harriet Tubman, Sylvia Riviera, Barbara Jordan, Audre Lorde.

I put up a few pictures from the Stand With Immigrants rally at Westlake in Seattle yesterday, in the IRL thread. We didn't end up finding any Mefites*, but we did find huge crowds of people, such that a street was defacto closed off by the start time of the rally that I don't think was intended to be closed (and another closed within the hour). I've seen the kinds of rallies where people get fired up and go block the street; I haven't before seen the sort where people are just trying to cross the street to get to the protest and block cars through sheer inability to walk any further.

*We were in contact with and probably could have found one Mefite if we hadn't left early for a late dinner and bedtime.

I'm likely to go to a number of protests, but I think that's in part because I'm willing to arrive and leave at times that work for me and my family, and not worry too much about the scheduled length. I hope that being part of at all it is more helpful than not going because I won't keep my kid downtown until 8pm. (I will also leave when people start any tactics which risk arrest -- I don't want my 10 year old caught in that and I don't even want to do any action like that alone without planning beforehand.) I hope more people will find ways to participate as they are able, instead of thinking they can't be a part of it.

One thing that was neat, to me, about the protests this weekend was looking at what my relatives were posting on Facebook -- one cousin was protesting at his airport, my sister-in-law at the Federal Courthouse, and my sister was at her airport as a lawyer ready to represent any new detainees. It made me feel connected to my family across the US, how we're resisting together.
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:41 PM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]




I joined the protest at the STL airport on Sunday. Several hundred people were there for 3 hours.
posted by jedicus at 1:10 PM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


So far:
My wife went with over 400 other Ithaca residents to the Women's March on DC.

Meanwhile, my kids (4 and 8) and I took our signs to the Womens March on Ithaca and joined 10,000 people on the march. (Our town has 30,000 people!)

And then we went out again to an emergency rally for immigrants and refugees.

As a recent immigrant, I'm both feeling grateful for my US passport, and ashamed at the level of relief I'm feeling. I was on a green card a year and a half ago, and it could have been me on the other side of those airport lines. At least I got to vote against the Cheeto Twitler.
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:10 PM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


Just back from a de-invite Trump march in Edinburgh. I have been an occasional marcher over the years and I would say there were a lot of people there for a cold, dark January Monday evening - maybe 3000 or so?
posted by hfnuala at 2:27 PM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


My family and best friend went. I didn't really plan to but when my best friend asked me (and he's not usually politically active), I decided it was time I set an example for my 10 year old. We missed the Women's March 'cause she was at her father's for the weekend and my wife was sick. Z (my kid) even made a sign that read "Build Bridges Not Walls" and it was cute listening to her practice some chants before we hopped in the car and drove to the Beacon Hill light rail station.
I'm pretty reserved in public and I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but as we walked to the station, we saw dozens of folks with signs heading downtown and my spirits lifted right away.
The best part was a group of Muslim teenage girls on the train who were a tad shocked and happy to see so many people boarding with signs. They saw my blond, blue-eyed daughter boarding and I head one say to her friends, "Even she's going!" They tried to sing the Somali national anthem, but couldn't remember all of the words. Then they tried "This Land Is Your Land", but couldn't remember the words to that either. So they led us in "If You're Happy And You Know It" and it the whole car clapped, stomped and yelled "Hooray!" when appropriate. It was wonderful.
We weren't close enough to hear the speakers in Westlake Park, but everywhere there were signs and spontaneous chants going up. We stayed until 7:30 or so, then headed home.
There was a palatable sense of relief - I think a lot of people have been feeling angry and isolated since the election (myself included), and it was nice to see that we all haven't given in to Neo Nazi f*ckery. I will oppose this president and his ilk with everything I have going forward.
posted by black8 at 2:33 PM on January 30, 2017 [5 favorites]


I decided at the last minute to go the Women's March. Got a late start, took the train, got off 1 stop too early, didn't really know where I was going so I followed some people with signs. Realized after a couple of miles they were leaving the march. Walked back, got lost, it got dark, found the station and went home. This is not unusual.

Went to ATL. Worked out pretty well. Lots of people.

My personality defects and I have decided not to be perfect before taking action.

The wife and I had this discussion on the way to ATL. I said "I'm not very good at this so I'm just going try for 'showing up'".
posted by bongo_x at 2:36 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


Went to the DC protest/impromptu march yesterday. Does it seem to anyone else like time is hurtling by? That was yesterday and yet it seems like an eternity ago. I guess that's how time would feel when you realize you're hurtling over a cliff.
posted by drlith at 2:40 PM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


I attended the "Oppose Betsy DeVos" demonstration near the Capitol on Sunday morning, organized by two kindergarten teachers here in DC. It was cold, but the energy was amazing! Teachers have the most creative signs and chants... lots of grizzly bear-related stuff.

My sign
My friend's sign
posted by saturngirl at 2:43 PM on January 30, 2017


Got photographed at a protest and, honestly, I look like a total narc. I'm not, I swear.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:44 PM on January 30, 2017 [9 favorites]


Does it seem to anyone else like time is hurtling by? That was yesterday and yet it seems like an eternity ago.

Ever been in a car wreck? "No, this can't be happening!"
posted by bongo_x at 2:59 PM on January 30, 2017


I spent Saturday and Sunday afternoons at San Francisco International, being inspired by the large, diverse, boisterous, peaceful crowd.

Don't mean to direct ire anywhere but its current well-deserved primary target, but since this is a protest-specific thread, I'll note that like k8t in her Medium post, I was a bit disquieted by what happened when seasoned protesters armed with bullhorns started to take the lead toward the second half of the Saturday and through all of Sunday: the opportunistic commingling of messages (attempting to start chants about Palestine, broad condemnations of U.S. foreign policy, etc.), and the shift in focus to attempting to shut down the terminal. It felt counterproductive and like something that will discourage the sort of wide, broad turnout we need right now.
posted by eugenen at 3:30 PM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]


I went to the DTW airport protest yesterday. I have a baby and it was snowing and there isn't good public transportation and it seemed just too hard to drive and park, so I asked my wife to drive me (with the baby in the car), wait and hang out w/ the baby nearby, then pick me up. Shoutout to her for doing that and being awesome. The protest was great - one of the largest Muslim communities in the US is nearby, and a significant portion of the protesters were Muslim [presumably, based on headscarves]. I'm not Muslim, so I was glad to be there and show my support.

This is my sign. The store was all out of foamboard and mostly out of the poster board I used - only a couple sheets of a few colors left, but I'm happy with what I ended up with! I kept the sign for the next protest. I also had some leftover sign materials so I brought them with me & gave them away.

The protest seemed pretty big to me - I read later that it was a few thousand people, which seems like a pretty good turnout given the population of the surrounding area and the lack of public transit. It was peaceful and a bit disorganized. I'm really glad I went.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:43 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


new-to-NYC here.
* 1/15: attended PEN America "Writers Resist" 1st Amendment/Press Freedom reading, out of curiosity, on the Ghostbusters library steps. a lot of passers-by and Fifth Avenue tourists/shoppers also stepped up to watch. several newsletter signups and flyers circulated the crowd, such as quiet sign-up encouragement for PEN America's Israel engagement. microphone difficult to hear sometimes. later, an exasperated British-sounding fellow came up and asked people around me, "What is this even about? Has Trump even said anything about the First Amendment?"; he started recording the PEN America president (speaking) on his phone for 15 seconds, then barked, "Oh, goodness me!" and stomped off. had me wondering...?!

* 1/20: went outside on rainy Inauguration Night, marching through to 40 Wall Street. felt like a huge group to me, with lots of experienced protesters (seemed mostly but not entirely 20s-40somethings). a few lefty causes & BLM support had banners and rained-on signs, and a small Socialist Alternative table set up near the NYSE building. a wide variety of chants, classics and on-the-spot ones, including "Build a fence / Around Mike Pence" and "Fuck - Paul - Ryan." people up in the Trump building were shining flashlights on the crowd from above -- I thought in solidarity, but also elder person next to me said, "Whuh-oh."

* 1/21: went out (bright, sunny) for NYC Womens March. fun and mostly positive mood, although I could only hear maybe three different chants around us for six hours. just nice to be with so many people.

* 1/22: inside my bedroom, listened in on my first MoveOn/Indivisible action call.

* all last week: flurries of petitions and calls and FB shares. felt paralyzed by airport news. really happy for kind ethical lawyers and proud of those who made it over to protest.

* 1/29: went out to Battery Park for #NoBanNoWall. soooo many more people than I had initially seen/expected, since people were waiting all around the grass and couldn't see where speakers actually were. good listening turnout. stayed through Cory Booker, then attended to Sunday plans.

k8t's post is very key. I still think flyers and literature hand-outs, from person to person, are more helpful for side-/alongside-protests during these larger gatherings than trying to take over the mic for more than a minute or two. sure, not eco-friendly, but.... I don't mind sharing the mic, but it's got to be brief (and follow-up-able) for the next, perhaps more pointed protest. I'm glad when other factions are there in solidarity, and happier when they've got action plans or URLs for me to peruse after.
posted by cluebucket at 3:45 PM on January 30, 2017


I was at the London protest this evening.
Here are a couple of pics.


I might add some more in a bit once I've found the non blurry ones.

There were a ton of police all mingling around having a lovely time. It was very good natured and supportive, so they had little to do.
As I headed off to find a suitable tube stop a little group broke off and marched about the streets through trafalgar square and then ending up in leicester square, much to the confusion of the tourists (because that's the only people in Leicester square generally).
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:55 PM on January 30, 2017


Well, I ended up not having anyone to go to the women's march with, and I considered not going, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.

I was going to ride my scooter up there because you can park those on the sidewalk, and I knew parking a car would be well nigh impossible. But the damn thing wouldn't start, and I considered not going, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.

So I got in the car and drove downtown, figuring I'd just park far away. But for the life of me I couldn't find a spot, and I considered not going, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.

So I kept making larger and large concentric circles, and eventually I found a quasi-legal spot. Then I trudged over to the rally, and it was a long damn walk, and I considered not going, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.

So in the end I went, and I was glad I went. Later that evening, reported attendance at the rally was estimated at 200,000. The population of this city is about 650,000. That's one-third, people. One-third. And I was one of them, because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.
posted by scratch at 4:22 PM on January 30, 2017 [21 favorites]


I have been hit by Trumpers on FB with the video purportedly showing "Trump supporter knocked unconscious by 'liberals' at PDX protest." Does anyone know if this is verified? I have searched for the video and only find it on right-wing/fake news sites, but I'm afraid to point that out because I'll just hear "OF COURSE it's not being shown on MSM!" It really looks like it could be staged to me, but I wasn't there, so I don't know.
posted by Cloudberry Sky at 4:43 PM on January 30, 2017


The one video I took that wasn't done via FB live is here (last detainee released Sunday afternoon around 4pm CST at DFW International Airport). I'd guess there were maybe 2-3k people there throughout the day? Literally stacks of veggie pizzas, people handing out markers and posterboard to make signs, pallets of bottled water, Girl Scouts passing around boxes of "thanks-a-lot" cookies, plus a couple of mosques and churches dropping off religious groups to protest.

I've never seen so many Muslims, Catholic priests, queers, atheists, vets, families with small children/babies and college students protesting together before. It was fucking amazing, and very positive/uplifting to see everyone laughing and supporting one another unequivocally.

Then I went to get tacos and remove my boots and go home, and... god. I can't believe I actually got into a fight with two complete strangers on FB who were trying to argue with me that our country would've been better off if they'd just shot the children being detained, because even a five-year-old was capable of murder "because my dad was a Vietnam vet and you're just some ignorant person with a passport who's never taken a history class."

Yeah, okay. You told me, woman and man I don't know who were openly wishing death on an 11-month-old girl named Jude and the 5-year-old at Dulles Airport.

(spoiler alert: I'm still hype for justice, and I'm not changing because you guys are the ones that suck.)
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:50 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


Also shout out to the amazing Homeland Security, DFW Airport and regular DFW police keeping everyone safe yesterday. One lady officer took off her jacket because it got too hot, poor woman, but they had to cordon us off behind yellow tape and clear a path about as wide as one of those shuttle thingies to get through the crowd and allow traveling passengers to get through to the actual gates.

It was hella crowded and most of the police looked like little kids guarding the line for Santa Claus. You can't see in my video, but some of the cops high-fived the last guy during his release right before his family gripped him up. They were visibly exhausted but very supportive and incredibly kind to everyone, even the ONE Trump-supporting counter-protestor.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:56 PM on January 30, 2017


I was in Logan today because I was leaving the country (in Canada to give some talks on social justice and librarianship) so got to see what was up in the International Terminal. Lots of lawyers (today) and not a lot of other people. I brought them candy and told them how PROUD we all were of them. I've been doing a lot of online organizing helping librarians figure out how to help people. I was down in Florida talking about digital inclusion on Friday. It's challenging, the activism I do is sympatico but not the same as the larger issues the US is dealing with and I've been struggling with determining where to put my efforts to a certain extent. Helping librarians organize (offline and online, we've been doing stuff with the Vermont Library Association as well as spreading the good word of LibrariesResist) is where I've been putting my efforts and also nudging some of my less-active friends and colleagues to make visible displays of solidarity even if they don't feel comfortable at a march or making a phone call, yet. Every time someone asked me how I was doing today as I was traveling I would honestly answer "I'm a little worried. How are you doing?" and had some interesting conversations with airport workers.

And I know it's just online activism, but this twitter exchange (RTed by my righteous rep) made me happy.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 5:11 PM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]


video purportedly showing "Trump supporter knocked unconscious by 'liberals' at PDX protest." Does anyone know if this is verified?

Yes, it's real enough although there's no actual footage of him being assaulted because the camera was on the neo-fascist yelling at a protester about how he doesn't love God. It's been all over the local news, so it's not like it's being ignored completely.

I guess there could be a question about how much of an assault it was, like was it an NBA-style flop or a real assault? Local newspaper article with video.

My Rep and Senator were at one of the protests, so don't really have much to complain about that way.
posted by fiercekitten at 5:19 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]


I missed the protest itself (my daughter's nap is inviolable) but my wife went and I went to a local direct action thing beforehand that feels like it will trigger good things here despite what happens at a national scale.
posted by rockindata at 5:36 PM on January 30, 2017


The march last weekend in Oakland was spectacular. Went with long-time family friends, including my friend's mom (who, before last weekend, I had never heard say a word about politics). Everyone was very positive. We all had signs, and they were all great (except maybe mine: it said "PUNCH" on one side and "NAZIS" on the other, and I spun it around as we walked. I was a little embarrassed that mine seemed to be the most aggressive sign there, although everyone I was with liked it, so maybe I didn't bring down the positivity).

Anyway, it's been an impossibly long week, and it's hard to imagine that it's only been a week.

The good news is that my dad, sister, and nephew spent yesterday protesting at the White House. My nephew is less than a year and a half old, but they've been reading A is for Activist to him, so I like to think he's on top of stuff. Anyway, knowing that there were three generations of my family there was hugely encouraging. The lawyer in my family couldn't go to the airport, but it was because there were already so many lawyers going. That's encouraging too. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but there's a lot of fight still in us.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 5:46 PM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


Went to D.C. last weekend. Trying to sign up for AAA again so I can book the hotel for the LGBT and Immigrants marches while I can. Received a call from a state rep thanking for me some comments I made in a public Facebook group against some local Republicans who were getting fighty about a bill she proposed. And going to the first Women's Caucus meeting tomorrow night. I'd like to think my six months of emailing the party chair helped that come to fruition. I'm feeling a bit under the weather with sinus issues, so I didn't do much this weekend.
posted by Ruki at 6:53 PM on January 30, 2017


I went to the airport on Sunday in Chicago and the Women's March the weekend before. Hearing about the massive protests in Boston, I had hoped there were more people at the airport yesterday, but reports stated that over 1000 people showed up. It was cold (I know, it's January in Chicago, of course it is cold), but the crowd was really energetic. I work with the international community for a living and had to personally contact some impacted individuals the next morning, and seeing the crowds the night before gave me the energy to get through what has been a very stressful couple of weeks.
posted by anactualwolfe at 7:44 PM on January 30, 2017


*tears up* You guys, I love reading all the things you're doing--both dramatic (and barchan, I'm glad you did bring that here!) and small. I mean it beyond words; these things are what's giving me hope and energy and strength to go on even when I'm scared; I am a tiny and very wordy ball of extremely strong emotions and tamping them down doesn't seem to be working very well. Currently, though, the emotions are primarily "angry" because I ran out of favorites for the day right as I discovered this thread.

Um. Right. Uh. I have mostly been doing local coordinating (yes, on Facebook; that's where the bulk of the people seem to be) for the past few days, because travel is rough on me and I'm still trying to recover from starting the semester a week late. Putting people in contact with one another, facilitating people who want to DO SOMETHING, raising awareness about our local Muslim Solidarity group (including to at least one increasingly angry young Muslim!); that sort of thing. I'm off my stride with my students, but they seem to be forgiving me; today wound up being a cheery rant about invasive cancer in Tasmanian devils and fetal placentas permanently invading maternal tissues, and I like to think they perked up and asked questions when I cheerily talked about how genetics gets Weird. I've been trying to claw my way back to forward progress on my PhD this week, whether or not I have the energy to focus and whether or not the experiment I've spent the last three years working at intends to yield itself to my publication.

But I wrote about the Reichstag Fire and put it on my facebook this morning, because it occurred to me that I know a lot of folks who might not have that bit of context. And I picked up a needle and a bit of embroidery thread so I can put the "WHAT YOU DO MATTERS" patch I picked up from the Holocaust Museum on Inauguration Day on my bag, right under the safety pin I added (and still wear there) right after the election, so that I can remember myself. And I saw a movie and listened to a good friend who is slowly, slowly dragging herself out of the pits of despair talk about how she's finding meaning in organizing our local queer/ace support group to do fun things, like laser tag for my partner's 30th birthday, so that we can collectively keep celebrating things even in dark times and make our own light in the darkness; and when she was ashamed that that was what she could do, I told her in no uncertain terms that we need that, too. I need someone who will harass me into seeing a movie now and again.

I need to find time to write up my experiences in DC, start to finish, because it was a tense and intensely emotional time, and while I have a bunch of notes I haven't found the energy to put it together in a coherent narrative yet. (I'm thinking it will have to be a three-part story, from the buildup and context before my visit with my family to the "getting abandoned on the side of the road" thing; the charity and kindness of strangers and friends and fellow MeFites in helping to get us put up for the night through our Inauguration Day experience wandering downtown and visiting the Holocaust Museum; and then our experience with the March itself the following day. Maybe another installment on the aftermath and the experiences we had coming home on Sunday, too; I don't know. I've been getting excited questions about the March and my time in DC recently, though, especially now my more politically-minded fellow grad students know I'm back and want to know how I represented us there--we had about twenty or thirty UT Austin folks in my department, nearly all grad students and postdocs, marching in our Austin sister march the day after the inauguration. To my knowledge I'm the only person from the department who went to Washington, though.

Anyway, my spouse is really angry about firing the acting Attorney General, so we're about to pack up with our dog and go down to the Capitol and shout for an hour or so. If you're in Austin, you're welcome to join us. I don't anticipate many other folks will be there, but worst case, we will bear witness.
posted by sciatrix at 8:09 PM on January 30, 2017 [8 favorites]


I found out this week that I'm kind of good at leading and amplifying chants. I am 43 years old and these are not my first protests; I had no idea that this is something that I am kind of good at. I mean, it makes sense in theory, I was a theater and chorus/choir person and so I know how to bellow from my diaphragm, but I am still a little nonplussed at people being energized by and following my vocal lead? (Considering I was too shy to ever sing a solo, EVER.)

A girl who was probably about 16 tapped me on the shoulder at the airport protest on Sunday. She said she had noticed me doing the "show me" call-portion of the "this is what democracy looks like" chant and asked me how she could start a chant and if I'd help. Me? I'm not a leader of anything, I was just picking up and keeping the beat? And then I bit my tongue from demurring and quickly gave her my two cents on how to read the crowd as ready for a new chant, suggested one, helped her start a round.

I'm proud and humbled and moved, y'all. Don't be afraid to lead in small ways.
posted by desuetude at 8:56 PM on January 30, 2017 [26 favorites]


I organized a low-key meetup this past Saturday for MeFites to write postcards to their senators, following the 10 Actions/100 Days suggestions from the Women's March website.

Introverts, represent!
posted by Quietgal at 8:59 PM on January 30, 2017 [8 favorites]




I was at the protest last night in Seattle with Margalo Epps. I was carrying this sign (pictures of both front and back).

Margalo missed the MLK Day march because of sickness, and I missed the Womxn's March because of sickness, but our ten-year-old made it to all three protests, three weekends in a row. Ready for more.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:13 PM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'm busy knitting pussyhats for MeFites (first batch is being mailed out later this week!) and tomorrow I'll be at City Hall for a gathering to show support for the Muslim community in the wake of the shooting in Quebec City. I'm also going to meet with someone soon to get advice about balancing my job as a public servant and being politically active during provincial elections.
posted by atropos at 9:55 PM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]


I've been mostly on the "give $$ to the ACLU / Planned Parenthood and look at cats on Instagram" plan, but today we had a protest at work and of course I went; my entire team went.

It was a small protest, and I don't think anyone from the public noticed, but it was effective in that there were many first-time protesters in the crowd: it was too convenient to skip, their coworkers supported them, convinced them that it was ok to express dissent with the government, etc. I thought this was really great. There were also some folks who recognized that this was Not Normal but didn't really know what action they could take, and more experienced people put together a list of resources.

We're in for a long ride. We're going to need all the reserves of community, kindness, and humanity we can muster, and I think that is something that protests create.
posted by batter_my_heart at 10:01 PM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Most protest chants are kinda polka ("No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here" ... 1-2-3-4, 1&2&3&4) but "Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!" has a bit of a swing, I like it. 1&2 &3e& 4&

I gotta get my butt on Etsy and get me a pussy hat
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 11:15 PM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]


Is there a best Etsy store for buying a pushy hat? Asking for a me.
posted by Going To Maine at 12:03 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


20k or so of us were at LAX. It was so encouraging. Tons of young people of all sorts chanting things like "Muslim Lives Matter."

I also joined my local indivisible group, which I learned about here. We're already meeting and planning actions.

I've never had this energy and never felt this energy around me before. I suspect this is what the late 60s felt like.
posted by professor plum with a rope at 12:04 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


Oh, and don't forget the other party in the Brooklyn suit: The National Immigration Law Center. They do great work and really can use your support, as they don't have the (deserved) support ACLU has.
posted by professor plum with a rope at 12:06 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


That's interesting--I didn't see very much of the 'professional left' for lack of a better term. No Mumia signs. No anti-Israel stuff. Etc. There were those with bullhorns there who clearly had OWS-like experience. And some did try to take control at times. But the chanting and energy was about Trump and the XOs and racism in the Trump Administration. And the bullhorned folks helped that along.

I'm a liberal, but to the right of, say, many on MF. I'm about where Obama is. I've felt uncomfortable at rallies before because I wasn't for overthrowing the capitalist order etc. So far at LAX and at LA WM I felt like I fit right in. It really seems to be a bunch of people who mostly are like me--not your usual protestors. Just patriotic Americans and Californians who are horrified and won't abide the destruction of our society and world.
posted by professor plum with a rope at 12:22 AM on January 31, 2017 [6 favorites]


One more: I absolutely don't mean to imply more usual protestors aren't patriotic!
posted by professor plum with a rope at 12:25 AM on January 31, 2017


I wandered down to the (adorably tiny) little impromptu protest in my little town. There were only about 30-40 people, but it was enough to get local news coverage.

Sadly something was making Blu uncomfortable, and I wasn't happy with the strong SWP presence that had turned up so I only stayed for maybe half an hour or so, but hopefully it showed that even suburbia cares.
posted by A Robot Ninja at 12:40 AM on January 31, 2017


There were a whole bunch of last-minute (~24h notice) protests around the UK last night. I made a sign and went the one in our city, which amassed around 2,000 people apparently. Lots of "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!" and a slightly more "colourful" song (warning: British swearing).
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:24 AM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


Yeah, the Liverpool protest was slammed together overnight, and very well-attended for all that, in spite of the snot-freezing cold. I think it really helps that so many local protests are held on the plaza at St. George's Hall, conveniently located across from Lime Street Station, and a very short walk from Liverpool Central and many bus stands. Makes it easy for a lot of people to come down straight after work and then get home fairly quickly.

We had the SWP paper-sellers too, natch, but my little cluster of protesters were all practiced at the "never make eye-contact" method of SWP-avoidance, so they got the picture and left us alone. Momentum and Unite were there, and involved in organising (and Len McClusky was the first speaker), but my impression was that the solid majority of attendees were pretty much there on their own and with like-minded companions.
posted by skybluepink at 1:55 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


I went to the Women's March in Seattle. I tend to freak out in crowds and had to take a meltdown break midway through, but was proud to stick it out to the very end. I made a sign that said "You matter (yes, you!)" because I wanted something anti-suicide for these times and I've never liked It Gets Better (I always think, you can't guarantee that) but the full sentiment is more like "Whether it gets better or not, you matter (yes, you!), so stick around."

I was sad that I couldn't go to SeaTac and the refugee march because of prior volunteer commitments that seemed important in their own way (having an Iranian filmmaker speak), but my partner promised me she would represent and went for me, with a sign that said "Never Again Is Right Now," with a Star of David. We're keeping up our BLM marching too.
posted by thetortoise at 2:47 AM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


London had a few SWP sellers, and a couple of the usual stands.
There was one guy with a big Hammer and Sickle flag on his own.
They looked mostly ignored and abandoned.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 2:49 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


I think the protest chant I enjoyed the most last night was the rousing chorus of "stop the wall!" to the tune of the footy chant "'ere we go!". Which, I just learned, is itself sung to the tune of the "patriotic American march" The Stars And Stripes Forever. So how's that for some nice symbolism.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:42 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


I went to the ATL protest on Sunday. First protest ever for me; probably for the best that my first experience was on easy mode. Here are some scattered observations: the crowd was large; large enough that I didn't end up running into my coworker who was also there. The MARTA train I took reached capacity just south of the Midtown stop; when we got to the airport, the MARTA employee who was expediting people through the turnstiles was also loudly encouraging the protesters.

I saw no counter-protesters nor any signs that were not on the topics of the immigration ban or resisting Trump. There were supposed to be some speakers, but I didn't see them, although the crowd and noise were such that it would have been easy to miss goings-on at the other end of the airport drive.
posted by metaquarry at 5:24 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


I sincerely doubt they're on Metafilter, but I'd just like to give a shoutout to Virginia's Governor McAuliffe and Senator Kaine, both of whom made lots of lovely noise at the Dulles Airport protests. They make me proud to have voted for both of them.
posted by easily confused at 5:54 AM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


We went to the women's march and then a rally for immigrants last weekend. We've made the commitment that at least one member of our house will attend every rally, march and protest if it is remotely possible.
posted by middleclasstool at 6:59 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


Our dictator will be in Milwaukee in two days but I just had surgery less than a week ago and I can't yet drive or give/receive hugs, let alone punch Nazis or get jostled by a crowd. So I will send good thoughts to those protesters and to all of you. I hope to see you soon out there.
posted by AFABulous at 8:02 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


I have a little "resistance log" where I record my daily resistance actions. Some days are bigger than others, but I commit to doing something every day, and ideally bringing others along into my daily actions as well.

I live in a small city, DC suburbs, and recently spoke out at a city council meeting on police transparency issues. It was ultimately a minor, though still important issue, and it was a really empowering experience--the issue was taken seriously and fixed! I encourage others to take a look at local politics if you're looking for ways to make a direct impact. Small-town/city councils tend to be pretty accessible and responsive to individual complaints/requests compared to bodies with a larger constituency.

I'm working on a blog post (maybe Medium?) about how you can make a positive contribution when you are personally inconvenienced by a protest action you support. My wife and I were delayed by an hour or so at Seatac airport on Saturday, along with our baby, because the police shut down the exits due to protests over the Muslim ban. I learned some important lessons there about group dynamics, and how to try and constructively shift the conversation within an indignant crowd of people who have been mildly inconvenienced. It might take me a few days to have a first draft, but if anyone's interested in taking a look at it and offering critiques, please MeMail me.

Also: I've put together a small "rapid response" email list with occasional action items on state-level issues in Maryland. If you're a Marylander Mefite and want to get on the list, likewise MeMail me.

I've been so inspired by the work of people on this site, with a special shoutout to sciatrix. Thank you all for helping me understand what one person can do.
posted by duffell at 8:42 AM on January 31, 2017 [12 favorites]


I'm in Savannah, GA. I had to hang with an 11 yr old most of the day on Sunday and I kept checking online to see if anything was being organized. Nothing. Once I handed the kid over to her dad I when down to Wright Square, the site of our federal courthouse. I had signs and blank sign cardboard left over from the women's rally there the week before, and a bunch of fat pens. I posted on Facebook that I was going. I was there for about 90 minutes; it was chilly, windy. And it was getting dark. Mefite (and neighbor/friend) Brandon Blatcher came by right after I left.

I made about 6 signs and left them on the courthouse steps. I talked with a few people. Felt a little better for doing it.

A couple of coworkers and I have tried to determine if there are any students who might get stuck here. as far as we can tell, we don't have any students from the listed countries. We're a small rural state college 25 miles from Savannah. I'm trying to network with people at other colleges in the area, I know there are students affected at some of those colleges.
posted by mareli at 8:55 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


Mrs. W and I participated in the January 21st Marcha de Mujeres in San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico. Pictures.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:14 AM on January 31, 2017



I live in a small city, DC suburbs, and recently spoke out at a city council meeting on police transparency issues. It was ultimately a minor, though still important issue, and it was a really empowering experience--the issue was taken seriously and fixed!


That. Is. Awesome.
posted by zutalors! at 10:12 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


Oh, and I did organize a women's rally the weekend before because nobody was doing it. Then I asked another badass granny to help me, but one of her kids gave her a ticket to the march in DC; she helped a whole lot anyway. Things got really weird a week before the event, all of a sudden people wanted to tell us how to do it, or wanted to take over because they didn't like our laid-back bad-ass anarchist granny style. So we ended up playing nice, the more professional organizer types had a rally in the square two blocks away, completed with invited ambitious political speakers and such. We had our open mic rally, people mostly female, got up and talked on the topic of their choice. These included a 7 yr old girl, a 14 year old girl whose family immigrated here from the Middle East, a ninety-year-old woman who's been an activist forever, and a full range in between. It was wonderful! Then after a couple of hours the other people came over from the other square and all of us walked to the biggest downtown park a few blocks away. the weather forecast had predicted heavy rain, tornado watches, and thunderstorms all day but it held off until 4 pm, by which time most of us were safely home.
posted by mareli at 10:17 AM on January 31, 2017 [4 favorites]


Portland Maine had two major protests back-to-back on Sunday; I went to them both. First up was on the steps of City Hall calling on our senator, Susan Collins, to return to the moderate roots that got her elected and quit doing foolish shit like introducing Sessions and calling him a "nice guy". Over 1000 people gathered, with a full slate of speakers including a Navy veteran who reminded us that her oath was to protect the country from threats both foreign and domestic. BTW, they chose the City Hall because Collins' Portland office is on private property therefore it's trespassing to protest there. That seems insane to me.

Second protest, immediately after, was about the immigration ban, held at the airport. An unbelievable 3600 people packed in to the baggage claim area with signs and chants and speakers and exhortations to let people get thru to their bags because "we're protesting baggage in the White House, not baggage here in the claim area". Favorite moment: the taxi stand is directly outside the door we exited. The mostly immigrant, mostly Muslim drivers smiled and waved and even took pictures with a few protesters. If nothing else, we made those few men feel more welcome in our city, and that's a good thing.

Finished up the day with a Women's March postcard writing party. Went home exhausted but feeling like I did everything I could that day to show fascists what we're made of.
posted by donnagirl at 10:26 AM on January 31, 2017


Since Friday I've attended an anti-DeVos event with Senator Merkley, Reps Blumenauer and Bonamici and several state/local figures; marched about 3000-strong with a coalition of black churches and allies; attended Merkley's capacity-exceding open house (3K?); and marched with the ACLU and friends in a #NoBanNoWall event yesterday...maybe 500 attendees at that one?

This afternoon I'll be at a MoveOn rally, and then at 6pm PST there's a nationwide protest on the steps of all federal courthouses (Facebook link, sorry) timed to coincide with the presumed announcement of supreme court nominations.

I haven't been carrying signs so far... there are just too damn many things to carry a sign about! But, I can chant with the rest of 'em, and appreciate that at this stage what matters isn't that we're any of us individual heroes of the resistance, just that we show up. Preferably in numbers, but one is a number too. In the spirit of the civil rights movement, I've been dressing as respectably conservative as possible—always wear a tie, got a fresh, short haircut yesterday. It feels trivial to worry about the optics, but this is Portlandia Little Beirut, and I think middle America finds it easy to dismiss images of grungecore and lumbersexual protesters.
posted by mumkin at 12:59 PM on January 31, 2017


Not this weekend, but I will probably join a protest against the education reform (aptly called "deform") next week. I (and my wife) keep going to marches at least once a month since December last year and we feel a bit exhausted, especially since the ruling administration does whatever it wants anyway, despite pressure from our international partners.

But we will carry on protesting even if they outlaw public gatherings. I'm old enough to remember why we must fight.
posted by hat_eater at 1:17 PM on January 31, 2017


Went to Tuesdays with Toomey today, and delivered two letters, one about how Mr. Machine is a cancer survivor and the other about how my family only exists because of refugees being admitted without much vetting. It was a good rally, and I laughed at the giant cardboard rubber stuamp someone was toting to remind Toomey that he promised not to be a rubber stamp for Trump. Local news was also there, including the big news cast for our area. The only downer was the "HER BODY HER CHOICE" chant always leaves me feeling uncomfortable because not everybody who gets pregnant identifies as a her, and it was especially awkward because this particular Tuesday claimed to focus on trans issues. Planned Parenthood can get it right. Why can't its supporters? Surely, there weren't THAT many TERF radfems in the wild.

Amusing moment: when the organizers realized that the crowd was FIRED THE FUCK UP and doled out a little chanting to keep us from being too antsy while the speakers talked on a not-loud-enough megaphone.

Called Casey just now to thank him for being a pretty goddamn standup guy so far, and his Philadelphia office voicemail is full. I got through to voicemail in DC and left a voicemail.

I'm also reconnecting with people on Facebook. I'd basically abdicated Facebook about 10 years ago, but it's important for us to keep our networks strong.
posted by joyceanmachine at 2:18 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


On Saturday I went to PDX early enough that there weren't that many folks yet and we marched and chanted. I was somewhat startled and dismayed by how many negative reactions there were--I know that PDX serves a large area and that Oregon is a land of contrasts, but it was still unexpected (and often ridiculous--"Get a job!" shouts a dude walking through the middle of the marchers; "It's Saturday!" is the incredulous response). Even with that, though, the experience of being in a group of righteously angry people who are working together to try to make things better is heartening and worthwhile, and having places to direct that rage makes me feel less helpless.

I've set up/increased regular donations to the ACLU, the American Immigration Council, Planned Parenthood, the Equal Justice Initiative, and food security/literacy groups in my hometown.

After months of not getting up the courage to use my voice and make phone calls, I took inspiration from my friends and made some phone calls (...they were a stuttering choking mess, but it's a start (note to self: write down your script next time)).
posted by Vibrissa at 2:52 PM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]


Over the weekend I attended a rally and march against the Keystone pipeline and DAPL. Several hundred showed up on the steps of City Hall. People seem surprised and energized by good turnout in our famously conservative town.

I went downtown today to Sen Cory Gardner's Colorado Springs office to speak to his staff about DeVos. One of the organizers of the event, which originated in an offshoot group from Pantsuit Nation, posted it to MoveOn.org and over 100 people showed up. We went up to his office in groups of 8-10 because the office space is quite small and spoke with his staffer. The group that I went up to his office with happened to be majority educators and it was so cool to hear at least 3 of them say "I have my doctorate in education and I oppose this nominee." One person who spoke had her Master's in special education and spoke about ESL/ELL kids, which seemed to capture the staffer's attention and she said it was the first time anyone had brought up that topic. The staffer was very polite to us, took notes, said she and the other staff would fax the postcards and letters to DC, but I don't know how much to hope Gardner will vote no. The security staff of the office building came over to thank one of the organizers for keeping the crowd under control and from blocking the sidewalk--we were aware of the fact that protesters were arrested at Gardner's office in Denver on Friday for trespassing. Two local TV stations showed up with cameras and a couple other media outlets were there as well.

I set up a monthly donation to the ACLU and need to find a few local orgs to donate to.

I'm still having an incredibly difficult time making phone calls, which makes me feel awful and ashamed, but it truly stresses me out so bad. Showing up in person and writing letters is easier. Maybe I'll wade in shallowly and start by making calls after office hours in hopes of being able to leave a voicemail.

There's a rally to support Muslims and immigrants next weekend. We go back to Sen Gardner's office next Tuesday and will be visiting Rep Lamborn's office on Valentine's day.
posted by danielleh at 3:23 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


My week since the march:

* Misc. phone calls to my reps using variations on the scripts from 5 Calls.

* I went to the SeaTac airport action, though I left around 10:30, before the police brutality really got started.

* My spouse set up monthly donations to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

* I went to help fill up the council chamber for the vote on Seattle City Council Member Lorena González's Welcoming City Resolution. (That was glorious. And I am now officially ready to follow Lorena González and Kshama Sawant into Hell.)

* I helped some anxious, drunk dude at The Union Bar to make an activism plan for himself. (I'm counting this, despite its profound unlikeliness to ultimately be of use to anyone.)
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:49 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


We went to Glasgow's impromptu George Square rally Monday night. Patrick Harvie was one of the main speakers. So many wonderful people and great energy. My partner's sign made it to Buzzfeed (Glasgow section, third one down) and HuffPo - you can take the boy out of art school but not the art school out of the boy.

Yarn for a hat has been ordered. Emotional labour has been carried out.
posted by kariebookish at 4:30 PM on January 31, 2017 [4 favorites]


From one knitter to another: kanata, offering to knit for others is one of the kindest and most loving thing you can do. It demonstrates great love and affection for others. I am sure your hats will look amazing and will be hugely appreciated by the folks receiving them.
posted by kariebookish at 4:50 PM on January 31, 2017 [8 favorites]


Also, kanata, I was born in the US and yet I cannot pretend to understand the complicated political situation here. I mean, I get the basics (politicians need money to get into office and stay in office, which is why they're basically bought and paid for by corporations and lobbyists) but that's everything I know. And offering to knit is kindness personified. Hope things get better for you and better for us!

I went to the woman's march in Oakland, then a week ago went to Senator Diane Feinstein's office with a letter about the importance of Obamacare to me. Met up with 3 other MeFites and there was a pretty big crowd. Last Thursday I went to hear Becky Bond in San Francisco on what we can do to make a difference. It was inspiring in part because 30 people were expected and more than 100 showed up.

Today I went to the Federal Building in Oakland but got there late; a fellow MeFite lives nearby and we're organising a class for locals on security and privacy tips for local protestors who haven't really worried about security until recently. I'm organising it because I want to know that stuff and do that stuff but my brain prefers to learn it with other people while I can have my hand held.

Keep on keeping on, MeFites. You inspire me. And remember, we don't have to do stuff that's too hard or too uncomfortable. We can make a difference by doing the things we're good at: leading chants, mailing postcards or faxing letters, knitting, whatever.

We're suffering enough already. Activism is like exercise, IMHO. You need to find the thing that doesn't feel like exercise, but feels like something you're either good at or enjoy. Any introverts who like to enter data or crunch it should check out Knock Every Door, a new group working to prepare for the midterm elections. Extroverts can do the same if they enjoy talking (but mostly listening) to people about whom they voted for and why. I know Becky and she told me about the number-crunching stuff after the meeting, so don't be put off by the form, which makes it look like Knock Every Door only needs extroverts. Not true!
posted by Bella Donna at 5:10 PM on January 31, 2017 [5 favorites]


I went to the Women's March and a demonstration in support of refugees and immigrants yesterday. These events were amazing shows of solidarity and peaceful demonstrations of support for marginalized community members. Many people of color, people practicing minority faiths, LGBTQ people, and immigrants/refugees have had their voices centered (which is how it needs to be).

Today, I'm went to march at a Senator's office. A good 200 hundred people showed up to an event that wasn't well publicized. I saw some of my campaign pals for the first time in months, and chatted with a wonderful staffer who was very receptive to some pointed criticism of an otherwise awesome Senator's voting record.

On Thursday, I'll be another event to help distribute literature, and then a Senatorial townhall on Friday that is expected to be well over capacity.

What I've heard from Congressional aides is this: Keep the calls, emails, faxes, and all contact coming. Keep re-enforcing the good actions your Congresscritters take, and let them know when they screwed up. Some of them realize that this is *not* normal and that we're going to have to put up one hell of a fight to hold any ground. Some of our metaphorical cities may fall, but we must persevere.

Positive demonstrations for our Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQ, immigrant, refugee, and female community members are frickin' therapy. Same with Congressional contacts and calls of support to your local queer, Muslim, immigrant/refugee, and Jewish groups. If you haven't tried one of these activities, give it a shot and it may lift your spirits a bit.

Blessings of peace up everyone.
posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 5:42 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


This thread is really energizing. Thanks everyone for posting.
posted by latkes at 5:51 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


Also.

Those who fight for social justice rightly talk about the importance of self-care, and I do hope y'all are finding ways to look out for your health. But I also think we over-emphasize the single, individual "self" when we discuss self-care. Just as with everything else, no one should bear the burden of self-care alone. Please know you have a whole community of people that are working with you and standing with you, and you are not alone.

I feel a sudden urge to bake things for all of you.
posted by duffell at 6:02 PM on January 31, 2017 [6 favorites]


I've never been much for political activism. As a cranky, perfectionist and introvert, I mostly just got paralyzed thinking of joining a group or going to a protest.

Well 2017 mcduff is an entirely different mcduff.

I've gone to Tuesdays with Toomey* for five weeks now (and seen it grow from about 50 people to, today, 1,000 people across the state). I went to the women's march in Philadelphia. I joined the protests last week when the GOP was in Philly. And I went to the airport Saturday night to protest.

I've also become one of those people who makes multiple calls a day to a wide variety of politicians. (My state rep's staffer now recognizes me when I call -- happily the rep is amazing and I'm calling to thank him for doing great things.)

I also take delight in networking people I know together. So I've connected friends who needed rides to protests. I get people together who have an interest in working on the same topics. I make sure that my lawyer friends are on call when my protester friends are worried they might get arrested. And I'm telling everyone I know about a friend who is running for local office this Spring.

None of this would be possible without mefi. So thank you to all of you.

Resist!

*I agree with the earlier poster who expressed discomfort with the chant that presupposed that only women get pregnant
posted by mcduff at 6:36 PM on January 31, 2017 [9 favorites]


I went to the Chicago Resist Tuesday rally this afternoon. It was good.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:18 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


I took my first CPR, AED, & First Aid class a couple months ago. When the call went out for volunteers to help with Athens, Georgia's J20 march, I signed up for the medic training class. There were about 15-20 of us including the de-escalation team, with various levels of medical experience, plus some more we ran into at the march itself. We got yellow safety vests, which was AWESOME because we could spot each other in the crowd, the police knew who we were, and the other protesters knew to talk with us if they needed anything. There were about 4,500 which was way more than expected! Fortunately, we didn't have much to do.
posted by gray17 at 7:28 PM on January 31, 2017 [7 favorites]


Dear Mefites who would like a pussyhat (and can wait a couple weeks), please memail me!

I'm fixin to make 6, first come first serve.

You guys are all the greatest and your heads deserve to be wrapped in warm snuggly feminism.
posted by moons in june at 8:56 PM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]


I put a protest & organizing moment into a political thread on the blue but in retrospect I think it belonged in this thread!

I'm happy that today I ran across both quisling.club and -- thanks to Bella Donna -- Knock Every Door. I'm strongly influenced by Betsy Leondar-Wright's work (like her book about class culture differences among left activists in the US) and I am interested in putting those lessons into practice via Knock Every Door.
posted by brainwane at 9:25 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'm a liberal, but to the right of, say, many on MF. I'm about where Obama is. I've felt uncomfortable at rallies before because I wasn't for overthrowing the capitalist order etc.

I'm to the Left of that and those people bug me and make me uncomfortable. Also one of the reasons I haven't gone to rallies in the past.
posted by bongo_x at 10:08 PM on January 31, 2017


Well this has been an interesting 2 weeks. I can't quite distill it into one thing* (I have been at every rally, every protest, every meeting I could get to. I made signs in a beer hall for an event tonight! My legs are tired you guys.) Except to say I have now become the kind of person who carries political pamphlets around in case the conversation turns to that.

If i could wear a sash I would.

Also that after hours of marching "No hate, no fear refugees are welcome here" can start to sound like "bread and cheese are welcome here."

(okay at the Women's March, singing aloud on 5th Avenue that "through stiff backs and stiff knees we stand strong at Tiffany's! Direct Action is a Girl's best friend!" was pretty good. )
posted by The Whelk at 11:03 PM on January 31, 2017 [5 favorites]


I’m a liberal, but to the right of, say, many on MF. I'm about where Obama is. I've felt uncomfortable at rallies before because I wasn't for overthrowing the capitalist order etc.

I’m to the Left of that and those people bug me and make me uncomfortable. Also one of the reasons I haven't gone to rallies in the past.

Definitely some “Free Palestine” / “Rights for Hispanics” stuff where I was. The most interesting thing to me was that one group of folks was trying to use the people’s microphone and many of the attendees had absolutely no idea what was going on. Half, at a rough guess. Things that I had thought Occupy had rendered common, it seems, aren’t at all.
posted by Going To Maine at 11:37 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]


I've talked about my newly rediscovered interest in Amateur Radio before. Turns out, that may be very useful in huge gatherings - as at both the Women's March and the anti-ban rally and marches in Seattle, the cell towers were completely overwhelmed and I couldn't get a signal. So, I just put my phone in Airplane Mode for the entirety of those two events. Which is frustrating, because I like to do citizen journalism at these events via tweeting texts and pics out. I've been to hundreds of protests throughout the years, ever since I was a little kid with my parents. (I'm @spinifex23 on Twitter).

I also went to the Sea-Tac airport shutdown; that was immensely powerful and moving to be at. Was there for nearly 7 hours, tweeting out pictures of the shutdown. Went at such a spur of the moment that I didn't even bother putting my lunch in the fridge; when I found out about the airport protest, I just grabbed my phone, a charging cable, two external batteries, a bandana, and my Epi-Pen and headed out.

The other thing I want to take up is knitting. I am horrible at it, but I find it relaxing, and also want to make some of my own clothes in the future - particularly socks. Socks for the Revolution!
posted by spinifex23 at 12:49 AM on February 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


I also vowed to *not* get roped into discussions/arguments on FB about Trump, politics, protesting, etc. I suck at internet arguing, I have no desire to get better at internet arguing, I don't find internet arguing pleasurable, and my time would be better spent learning how to darn a sock or listening to folks talk about their beloved houseplants on the local repeaters.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:53 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


wait no shit

i should wear a Sash

ASK ME ABOUT DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
posted by The Whelk at 1:29 AM on February 1, 2017 [5 favorites]


We set up a monthly donation to the ACLU. I've emailed both WI using their web forms. I called Ron Johnson (R-WI) and got through to a human but I have only slight hopes on that front.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:45 AM on February 1, 2017


Mrs. Thistledown and I live in DC, so on the day of the March we rode our bikes down to L'Enfant Plaza, chained them up and just sort of folded into the crowds.

My own feelings/thoughts about a lot of the spectrum of social and political topics these days are not fully-formed, so I tend to keep those things to myself...but it was definitely heartening to be among the throng and feel a peaceful, positive energy.

What I took away from the whole thing was a sense of acceptance and something else I learned that I'd been having a hard time articulating to others was that while liberalism comes in many flavors, it's fundamentally about equalling opportunity for people.

I know this is very 101-ish. At my age, I should know better. I'm a little slow on the uptake but I'm getting there by consistent degrees.

For the rest of the day, we spent a lot of time giving people directions, local tips, etc.

My wife is a journalist and faces a set of new challenges now. Me? It may sound crass or glib....but I'm just trying to listen. Hard.
posted by Thistledown at 2:39 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


My wife called dibs on the Cambridge (UK) protest on Monday so I cooked tea instead. We also donated some money to ACLU and I've been trying to publicize Adrian Hon's Loyal Opposition newsletter to people on my social media.
posted by crocomancer at 4:00 AM on February 1, 2017


I also vowed to *not* get roped into discussions/arguments on FB about Trump, politics, protesting, etc.

I have decided something similar, which is that I'm done expending emotional energy on dealing with strangers and taking care of their feelings when they say racist shit or regurgitate right wing talking points.

For example, I threw up a public protest planning event on Facebook that attracted a few right wing assholes who started spamming the page with links calling CAIR a terrorist group or otherwise calling Muslims all evil terrorists. I responded by making fun of their poor research skills for pretty much as long as I found it entertaining, and then I left a blunt comment about my motivations, the fact the event had already happened, the point that I have a job and therefore have obligations for my time that don't involve the Internet, and the point that free speech does not apply in my personal spaces and I am not obligated to make a space for assholes.

I finished by suggesting that given the anemic turnouts at the rallies I had personally attended when I did have time off, that these folks were real brave on the Internet but kind of wimpy when their Russian friends weren't holding their hands. Then I suspended comments on the whole thing, because the thing about these shitwits coming into my space is that I am not obligated to give them the last word; I can keep it for myself.

Normally, I respond to disagreement by listening and trying to engage at least until I can find some point of agreement. I am done with that shit now, at least with people I don't know or have a history with bringing that crap to my spaces. I don't have the energy to argue, no... But I do have the energy to make it clear that there are not two equally right sides here, and I will respond to rudeness with exactly the rudeness that it deserves.
posted by sciatrix at 5:29 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


I also went to the Chicago Resist Trump Tuesday yesterday. I wavered on going because the one last week seemed a bit...weak, but I thought this one was great. There was one call in particular that stuck with me: "That ain't right!" It's not the first time I've heard it in this context, but the crowd really started to get into it yesterday. In response to the Muslim ban: That ain't right! To unaffordable tuition: That ain't right! To unaffordable healthcare: That ain't right! I hope it catches on, because I feel like it cuts at a really good angle. It's different from just saying that X policy is unfair, or unjust, or bad, or stupid. It assumes that we all share a common belief in what is fundamentally right and wrong, and puts that front and center. Should we turn away refugees and immigrants? No, that goes against everything America stands for and is unjust and needlessly cruel ain't right.

And then just let them try to pin the bullshit big city elite label on us. (I guess they could switch to accusing us of artificial folksiness, but I grew up in rural Ohio where you better believe we said "that ain't right", so I've got no qualms saying it here.)
posted by gueneverey at 6:49 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


So, I was very excited by the make a banner post yesterday but I am EVEN MORE EXCITED by the notion of making a sash. It is taking all my restraint not to promise to make sashes for all of SSSCSSCC (because I know I'd take forever)

My sash, like my banner, shall simply say RESIST.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:55 AM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


I gave my talk on social justice for librarians yesterday which was good and got derailed somewhat by an angry union lady (someone has asked what my dream library would be and I said "Open 24/7" and then she was like "BUT WHO WILL STAFF IT?") but I got some good gentle pushback from various people on ways I could be more mindful in the ways I was talking about things which was really gratifying, seemed to mean I was edging into unsafe territory for me which is where I want to be.

Got an email from the Chancellor of Vermont's State Colleges yesterday which was VSC's response to the ban and it was.... not as supportive of our students as it would have been. Like clearly the man cares, but he also talked about things like how this is going to make recruiting faculty tougher in the future (true but very beside the point at this juncture). I wrote him a polite letter explaining the terrifying nature of this ban to many students and their families and suggested better wording and ways of talking about this to achieve better supportive tone and solidarity with affected people (and those who love them) and included a copy of Harvard's community email which was very much in the spirit of resistance and also support--they are hiring a Muslim Chaplain as just one thing that they are doing.

He sent me an email thanking me this morning and saying, sincerely sounding, that he'll make more of an effort in future emails. This will have a good, I hope, ripple effect. It's important for people in positions of power (him with his emails, mine to email him) don't shirk their responsibilities to get everyone functioning at a higher level.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:25 AM on February 1, 2017 [10 favorites]


I've also been offering to put together lists (with contact information and twitter account and official site links) of elected officials for my friends based on where they live. I also include an all-purpose fill-in-the-blank script for calls.

Almost everyone I've offered this to has said yes. I've heard that they have forwarded the lists on to neighbors and friends.

I enjoy making lists and I figure that if I take out one step in the process of making calls, more call will be made.
posted by mcduff at 7:58 AM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


I was at the Minneapolis protest and march last night; I know at least a couple other MeFites were there but we didn't manage to connect. It was really good; there were an estimated 5,000 folks there. Here are a couple pictures and a video I took - I have a few other photos but haven't had time to get them on line yet; will try to do so soon.
posted by nickmark at 8:14 AM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


I have a very hard time making phone calls to people I don't know -- making routine appointment might take me a few weeks to work up to doing, and trying to find a new doctor and then call to see if they accept new patients takes me, I recently discovered, up to a year to manage. So I wasn't thrilled with this new push to call representatives. I finally settled on sending postcards -- not quite as immediate (which is important for some issues/votes), but still a strong message. I was given a box of amusing postcards a few years ago and it now has postcard stamps tucked into it and the local addresses of my senators and representative in DC and Olympia stuck to the top, so the process is more streamlined.

I've still been struggling with it, wishing calling people was easier for me, and than I talked with someone who's health has just not made it easy to get to protests and who is too overwhelmed to follow the news closely. I asked her how she felt about phone calls. Turns out, that feels easy for her, and now hopefully she can release a bit of the guilt she was feeling for not being involved in those other ways. I feel a lot better knowing that she's making phone calls every week to our senators and congresswoman when she wasn't before. (I sent her to The Sixty Five. Hopefully it's not too overwhelming, but if it is I'll find her something else.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]


I was also marching in Minneapolis last night - actually ended up marching right behind another good friend, but really could only say hello and then the crowd whisked away. It was a good turnout.

I'm thinking of investing in a stock of stamps, a stack of pre-addressed postcards, and bringing them to the next rally I go to, maybe with a sign like 'tell them how you really feel'.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:00 AM on February 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


This is hard for me to say, but here goes - what can I do that is most effective that will not include any phone calls or face-to-face meetings with people, or marches? (Right now, I can't handle those things because of my social anxiety. I can't do Facebook because of my anxiety levels. I don't have many reserves - my dad is very sick, my mom isn't handling that well (deep depression), my colleague at work who shares my duties quit with no notice, I just found out my dog has cancer, and my husband is employed by an agency in the DOI.)

I am donating money. I see such mixed messages about the efficiency of post cards and letters. Is there something I can do that will help?
posted by Squeak Attack at 10:23 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


Squeak Attack, you can fax, online, no talking, just writing!

Fax your reps!

Fax your senators!

Since Chaffetz is now playing the "DC doesn't deserve to have its own government, for IIIIII am its government" game, I've been faxing him every day. If he wants to call himself my rep, GREAT. I have a LOT of things to say.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:30 AM on February 1, 2017 [8 favorites]


Squeak Attack, we may end up wanting to move this to Ask, but regardless I want to reply to you:

* My word, you're having a tough time, and I wish you well. Taking care of yourself and the people who depend on you is really important. We want you to be around in the future. Everyone needs to take breaks and that's ok.
* You are already helping by donating money.
* Email can work.
* Can you research? Bella Donna's note above said that Knock Every Door needs stuff you can do. And I'm finding that a lot of state-level, county-level, and municipal institutions publish stuff in newspapers or in PDFs or images, instead of searchable text on websites, and so it gets hard for interested citizens to keep track of upcoming public meetings, legislation, public comment periods, and stuff like that. If you can pick a few local things like that and keep an eye on their publicity outlets, and then translate that into an email to a local friend who'll put it on Facebook, that helps other people speak out.

But most importantly: nourish yourself, starting with the physical and moving out, being aware of the gap between your zone of influence and your zone of concern.
posted by brainwane at 10:45 AM on February 1, 2017 [9 favorites]


Hey, I went downtown to a protest/introduction of a bill to not allow Massachusetts law enforcement to be used as immigration bullshit guys! I was not sure it'd work out coming from Somerville, but it turns out it's basically a long lunch, if you only spend 40 minutes or so down there!

An important thing to keep in mind about protesting is that you can leave whenever you want in most cases, and it's totally worth showing up to yell for a few minutes if that's all you got!
posted by ignignokt at 10:56 AM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


Hey, look here! A google doc with lots and lots of upcoming town halls for Congresspeople, courtesy of “Town Hall Project 2018”
posted by Going To Maine at 11:02 AM on February 1, 2017 [4 favorites]


I read that letters to local offices of representatives are getting through better than calls right now, and they are counted.
posted by latkes at 11:13 AM on February 1, 2017


Thank you, a fiendish thingy and brainwane! I don't want to derail; I was just having a little flail about not doing enough. :)

I did read somewhere to think of this as a relay race, not a marathon. We're not each running alone and I might be able to tag in later with more efforts.
posted by Squeak Attack at 11:38 AM on February 1, 2017 [5 favorites]


Squeak Attack:
At the core of what we are fighting for is a society in which we take care of each other. When one of us is at our limit, another one of us steps up. You are at your limit so let the rest of us step up for you right now. You will do the same for us when it's time.
posted by mcduff at 11:51 AM on February 1, 2017 [20 favorites]


Recap from my corner of Vermont:

On election night we played a raucous game of True American to drink and forget reality.
The next day I made the last minute decision to go March in Montpelier, and gave a friend a ride. What an amazing experience! I ended up calling that Day 1.
On Day 2 I realized that so many of my friends were paralyzed. Reading, despairing, not sure what to do. So, I decided I would do a daily political thing and post about it on Facebook. Day 2 was to contact every senator on the confirmation committee asking them to reject DeVos.
Day 3: made a campaign contribution to someone running locally for city council.
Day 4: bought a digital subscription to the Washington Post.
Day 5: installed Countable. Contacted Senator Leahy urging him to stop Senate Bill 87 "Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act" which is in his committee.
Day 6: signed up for the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility State Legislative Reception happening in Montpelier in mid-February.
Day 7: sent an e-mail to all my state representatives and governor opposing our new governor's ill-advised plan to cut school spending this year.
Day 8: did a literature drop of city council candidate flyers to about 65 households.
Day 9: joined about 300-400 in an impromptu march against the immigration ban. Set up a recurring donation to the ACLU.
Day 10: sent a very angry message to my senators and representative asking them to take extraordinary action in response to the NSC re-organization and Bannon's inclusion.
Day 11: joined about 700 in the more organized Burlington march against the immigration ban.
Day 12: today - tbd, I think it will be sending my commentary on affordable housing and inclusionary zoning to the planning commission and city council sub-committee members.

When posting on Facebook each day I include my letter text, or links, etc. The feedback and reception on Facebook has been hugely positive. One friend unfollowed (but not unfriended) me. Many others have expressed thanks for helping them find a way to get moving again. I should note that I don't include reading and commenting 'within my bubble' to be part of this action, but of course there has been plenty of that as well.
posted by meinvt at 2:09 PM on February 1, 2017 [6 favorites]


This is hard for me to say, but here goes - what can I do that is most effective that will not include any phone calls or face-to-face meetings with people, or marches?

I've been in this boat, and one of my tools of activism? Twitter. My Twitter account is completely detached from nearly every other online presence I have, and is now used 98% of the time for activism/politics. There's been many nights where, when the Black Lives Matter protests were first firing up in Ferguson, Oakland, etc., I'd find live feeds of people filming the protests, and then tweet those out. Adding the hashtag #livestream helped also, as people then could search via hashtag.

Lots of the protests going on, both in terms of Trump and in terms of NoDAPL, are being livestreamed - on Periscope, on Facebook Live, and on other platforms. The more eyes witnessing what's going on live, the more people that can help.
posted by spinifex23 at 2:42 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


This is hard for me to say, but here goes - what can I do that is most effective that will not include any phone calls or face-to-face meetings with people, or marches?

I'm also on Twitter, which I've always mocked. It's 100% politics, mostly retweeting. I block anyone who even slightly argues, and unfollow anyone who's talking about anything else.

It's sort of like the protests I've gone to; I'm not waving signs or yelling (yet) I'm just one more person that showed up.
posted by bongo_x at 4:39 PM on February 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


Greetings from Canada!

I spent an hour tonight writing letters to the Chambers of Commerce and/or tourism boards of every state that I have vacationed in during the last 10 years: New York, Vermont, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and more. I included specific details about what I loved about each state, and why I would love to return.

Then wrote that I would not return while Donald Trump is President. And that many of my friends are changing their plans. And their friends are changing their plans.

I've got some envelopes to address and stamp; it's off to the post office tomorrow. As somebody who has worked in PR-adjacent jobs for a while, I have absolute certainty that well-written, non-crank postal mail is about one billion times more impactful and scary than an email or a tweet.

I've also gotten a few friends to commit to a similar initiative. They're going to try to convince some friends to do likewise as well. This sort of stuff -- especially postal, and thoughtful -- ripples up, and ripples out. I don't know what kind of effect it will have in actual fact, but it's something I can do.
posted by Shepherd at 5:28 PM on February 1, 2017 [18 favorites]


Another offer to make hats for any MeFites who want 'em. Or friends of MeFites. Bright pink cotton yarn on a knitting machine, nothing fancy and definitely not artisanal handmade quality. But quick and easy, and you can stuff it in your pocket and be ready for any protest that springs up. MeMail me if you want one, or three ...
posted by Quietgal at 5:57 PM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]


Seen a lot about people donating to the ACLU, and having looked for the UK equivalent I set up a regular donation to Liberty who "...campaign to protect basic rights and freedoms through the courts, in Parliament and in the wider community. [They] do this through a combination of public campaigning, test case litigation, parliamentary work, policy analysis and the provision of free advice and information."
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:57 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]


I also went to the Portland, Maine airport Sunday and could not believe the crowd, especially for a last-minute event. We arrived around 12:30 and the parking was already hopeless-looking so we diverted to an outside parking and walked in, which many were doing by that point. There was one annoyed person driving out who was yelling at the protestors coming in but otherwise I didn't experience any negativity. The crowd was fairly diverse (by Maine standards), and well behaved/managed (clearing the way for people arriving and getting luggage, as mentioned in a previous comment). The Mayor was a speaker and they had other locals sharing their stories. I still have to make my sign, but it will be along the lines of this (with a reusable message space to adapt to future protests).
posted by mikepop at 8:37 AM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]


I went to the Women's March in DC and also stopped by the anti-Trump protest here in Philly during the Republican retreat. Grumpybearbride went to PHL on Sunday to protest and made her first protest sign. So proud!
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:55 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]


In a couple of hours, when I finish these experiments, I am going to head on down to a protest at the Capitol to register my disapproval of State Bill 4, which is Texas Governor Abbott's way of trying to penalize Texan sanctuary cities for choosing how to run their own relationship with undocumented workers. It's also his way of trying to make an example out of Austin and legalize hauling our democratically elected Sheriff out of office. I'm not putting up with it, so I'm going to go down and yell. I forgot to wear white, but I bet I can find a clean lab coat if I look. And I hear the Senate is trying to keep polite and quiet but visibly marked protesters from even getting in, but I see on FB that a) there's a back door that someone is sneakily publicizing and b) someone else found out the name and phone number of the Commander of the DPS' Security Detail and is suggesting that aggrieved Texans call him and yell at him ask why officers aren't letting people into the senate to observe when there are clearly plenty of seats.

I have also asked my city elected officials today--our federal rep, my state senator, and our mayor--if there's going to be a fund or a way that Austin citizens can chip in to help keep the city running, in lieu of the Governor's attempt to tell us how to run our own damn city and who our elected officials can be. He's cut a little bit out of our city budget so far, including money that was supposed to go to veterans, but I think we're proud of our city and I bet you Austinites will be happy to make up the difference if that's the cost of running our city to represent its citizens.
posted by sciatrix at 9:40 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]


We went to the Women's March in Seattle and then to the No Ban rally/march on Sunday. We went to our European Dissent white anti-racist gathering on Monday, and are gathering our friends for letter writing on Saturday afternoon. Two gatherings a week seems like a sustainable pace.

From a larger perspective, I decided two weeks ago to cancel some interviews, halt my very selective and somewhat half-hearted job search, and make my side software consulting and development business my serious occupation, giving me complete control over my schedule to act as I need to in these times.
posted by Kwine at 9:43 AM on February 2, 2017 [2 favorites]


I just put in in projects but I thought I'd mention it here too. My friend (a therapist) and I (an activist) just started a FB page for a once a day message of hope, resilience and survival for activists and advocates. If you're interested, it's at https://www.facebook.com/groups/morningresistance/
posted by Sophie1 at 11:48 AM on February 2, 2017 [3 favorites]


From the hearings for SB4, a woman who names herself as a sixth generation Texan whose grandfather served as a guard in the Texan capital:

"America used to be a hero for the world. And the world is watching, by the way, and they can't believe this. I am so embarrassed for this nation. If I had half the money of Rick Perry or Greg Abbott, I would bring a refugee family from Syria right here and set them up next door to the Governor's office."

There are half a dozen testimonies like that I could share. The gentleman while I was typing this remarked that he was a fifth generation Texan whose family immigrated through the port of Galveston, and he's got a friend--a friend who also in the district of one of the legislators present, as it happens. This friend immigrated here from Iran about ten years ago and founded a company that now employs a few thousand Texans in Houston. There was an woman who said she had been a domestic violence survivor who would not be alive today if she had not called the police... but she was undocumented at the time, and under this law she would have been too afraid to be separated from her daughters. There was a gentleman who came to read a testimony from a high schooler "on account of how she couldn't be here today since she has class."

Folks, I have been here for maybe half an hour. The legislator who keeps yelling at the crowd for applauding just lectured us that we have over four hundred more oral testimonials to go.
posted by sciatrix at 1:00 PM on February 2, 2017 [11 favorites]


We were supposed to wear white to show support, but I forgot and I wasn't sure I could get here anyway this morning when I got dressed. So I'm sitting in a clean lab coat, bearing witness.

I am not alone. Although I think I might have the only white coat.
posted by sciatrix at 1:02 PM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]


Over here I talked about what it was like being in the crowd outside the Brooklyn district court where the ACLU got Justice O'Donnell to issue the first stay on the traveler ban EO. I literally did not know I was going to be there until 35 minutes beforehand - I was at home, exhausted from a shitly hard project at work, and was just thinking that "dammit I wish I had the energy to go to JFK but it'd take an hour to get there...." and then suddenly saw someone tweet out that "we're trying to get a crowded courtroom for an action here at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, be here by 7:30" and I thought "shit, that's only 10 minutes away by cab, I have no excuse." I think I even tweeted something like "Lemme put on pants and I"ll be right there."

If you see someone using an old traffic cone as a megaphone in any of these videos, it's me. I saw it on the side of the road and grabbed it to use as a makeshif drum at one point, but it didn't work well for that, so I used it that way instead. I tried not to think too hard about how many dogs may have peed on it first.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:32 PM on February 2, 2017 [4 favorites]


Joined a small lunchtime protest at the US embassy in New Zealand. Maybe 50 or so people. Anti-Islamophobia and pro-refugee signs. A few anti-Trump specifically, and some signs of support to the US embassy staff as in "we don't blame you". No real chanting. Chatted with a nice socialist guy and agreed on the need for a united front.
posted by Pink Frost at 4:14 PM on February 2, 2017 [5 favorites]


There's a handy protest calendar, right now, just for Boston, NYC, and DC, but hopefully expanding soon!
posted by ignignokt at 7:43 PM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]


STOP BANNON: The Senate Committee on Homeland Security is taking calls about Bannon's appointment to the NSC. You can call 202-224-4751 and leave comments opposing this appointment.

I tried calling but got a busy signal, will try again shortly.


Voicemail's full. Will try tomorrow.

Been calling, emailing my Senators as well.
posted by sebastienbailard at 7:54 PM on February 2, 2017


Still making pink hats (MeMail me if you want some!) and calling senators etc. Which is a new thing for me, and absurdly difficult for this phone-averse introvert, so I really appreciate the links to sites with short scripts I can read and leave a message.
posted by Quietgal at 5:30 AM on February 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


Do any of you know if there is an app like Countable but for state government? I have talked with Countable and they no longer are servicing at least my state, not sure about others.
posted by rabidsegue at 7:35 AM on February 3, 2017 [2 favorites]


This calendar has protests, but also office hours and town halls with your elected officials so you can address them in person!
posted by ignignokt at 9:42 AM on February 3, 2017


STOP BANNON: The Senate Committee on Homeland Security is taking calls about Bannon's appointment to the NSC. You can call 202-224-4751 and leave comments opposing this appointment.

And don't forget this handy chant:

BAN STEVE BANNON
SHOOT HIM OUT A CANNON


I did not make this up but I love it so so much.
posted by maryr at 10:43 AM on February 3, 2017 [6 favorites]


I messed up with refilling my mail order psych meds, so my resistance these past few days is giving myself a break from the fight for a bit until I can get my head back to normal functionality. Going through withdrawal sucks, and I judged myself harshly for not fighting, but I've finally accepted that I need to take care of myself right now, and acknowledge my current limitations. It's just temporary until my pills come in.
posted by Ruki at 2:00 PM on February 3, 2017 [4 favorites]


I've finally accepted that I need to take care of myself right now

Please, please focus on taking care of yourself. That is absolutely the right thing for you to be doing right now, and for as long as you need to.

Not a sprint. A marathon. Deep breaths.
posted by duffell at 2:48 PM on February 3, 2017 [4 favorites]


So, other than the Womens March and a couple donations to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, we here at the Gamera household haven't done much so far. However, thanks to 5calls.org, we DID call our waste of skin senators and whaddaya know! At least we're annoying them.

PS Thanks everyone for posting here.
posted by gamera at 10:10 PM on February 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


I've gone to two local Democratic Party meetings in my county in the past 2 weeks to try to understand its labyrinthine organizational structure, and I've finally got my head around it just enough to write up what I learned to the local Indivisible groups and direct people to show up and run for local state house and senate district positions at the various Colorado county re-orgs happening this month. My friend and I are running for 1st and 2nd vice chairs in our state house district even though we're still not sure what these jobs will entail, because there's absolutely no documentation of this stuff. I get the feeling the combination of a) older people who aren't digital natives and b) an institution that is just fine with being impenetrable to outsiders have come together to make figuring this stuff out a huge headache. But I'm proud of getting more info out in a timely fashion to a couple thousand people locally. We're going to need to plug into existing structures for the elections, even if we also have to change them from the inside out simultaneously.

Overall I'm trying to be an excellent support class activist. I don't have that much time, so I connect people who have more time with information to increase their effectiveness (especially on Facebook; opportunities abound there), and when I can show up in person (like to the Denver airport last weekend), I try to make sure I've got granola bars, power supplies, first aid kit, etc. By the same token, I went to one Indivisible Denver meeting last Sunday (hundreds of people turned out; the Unitarian church was like Christmas Eve meets a rowdy PTA meeting) and joined the technology team, because I figure it's where I can contribute the most remotely. I set us up with Slack, and we're starting to get more off-Facebook organizing rolling.

And I've finally got a rhythm down for calling my reps on my way to/from my lab every morning, so my phone now says I've made 22 outgoing calls in the past week. I need to try out the fax tool next.
posted by deludingmyself at 8:29 AM on February 4, 2017 [5 favorites]


Here's a new thing we tried today: Interfaith Vigil at the Richmond Detention Center.

It was a different flavor from what I'm used to, and I'm trying to participate in different types of organizing to get a feel for what's out there and lend my body to anything I can. These folks have been doing this for years already, rotating leadership from one congregation to the next each month, but this month they had a higher attendance than usual: maybe 120-140 people including a good handful of kids. Represntatives from a few different groups spoke, and a local public defender led us in some basic know-your-rights training: "Repeat after me: Am I being detained? Am I free to go?" It was good.

I think we should all start thinking about what real solutions we want here: I mean, clearly we need to get Trump out, but also clearly, there are a lot of things that led up to Trump that must be reversed and changed if we want to avoid fascism and build a more just, safe world. So I think it's good to look at what thoughtful, principled people who have been working on this stuff already are doing.
posted by latkes at 4:09 PM on February 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Possibly of interest: I put together a quick read on Medium after my wife and I were caught up in the airport protests in Seattle last weekend. You are personally inconvenienced by a protest action you support. How should you react?
posted by duffell at 8:41 PM on February 4, 2017 [5 favorites]


Can I advertise an activist thing I did?

I'd like to advertise an activist thing I did. Feel free to delete if not allowed.

See, I love tea. I also hate Nazis. Adagio teas allows you to make a personal blend. So, I did so - and uploaded a protest sign I took a photo of at the WA State Capitol Building that reads "Our Resistance is our Lives" for the cover art. I then named it "Dwayne vs. Nazis, morning tea", and it's available for purchase. It's a blend of Irish Breakfast (70%) and Masala Chai (30%). If you're new to Adagio, save $5 with GC # 1509856489.

I've also set some of the proceeds to be donated to the ACLU through their charity program; 5% of every purchase will go to them.

Linky here: Dwayne vs. Nazis, morning blend.

(I do not work for Adagio Tea; I will get no money from this.)
posted by spinifex23 at 5:04 PM on February 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


I made an anonymous Twitter account for pushing back against right wing bullshit and demanding better from my reps. So far: cathartic.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:24 PM on February 5, 2017 [3 favorites]


I read a blog post about "the New York State Reproductive Health Act to get abortion removed from New York State’s Penal Code", and via that, started clicking around on the New York state Assembly's site. I noticed an upcoming hearing about "Government oversight of forensic science laboratories" (PDF) , hearing oral testimony by invitation only. I wondered: Who's on the list of witnesses? And will any of them talk about the danger of closed-source, unauditable code used in forensic science in the criminal justice system?

So I called the analyst at the Assembly and made my argument for why this is important, and another expert emailed him about it, and we got me, plus the author of that piece, invited to speak. We're testifying tomorrow.

I did speech and debate in high school so in some sense I have been preparing for this for twenty years.
posted by brainwane at 8:05 AM on February 7, 2017 [15 favorites]


I've got feelers out to see how a nonfiction resistance reading club would go down over on Fanfare right now, for those of you who want some help and accountability reading about how to push back and what to push back against. There's a slightly more fiction-oriented club also quietly forming there as well, projected to start with The Handmaid's Tale.
posted by sciatrix at 12:40 PM on February 7, 2017 [4 favorites]


I made three pussyhats, wear one myself, gave one to a friend and sent one to a MeFite.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:30 PM on February 7, 2017 [1 favorite]


I coordinated the logistics for myself and six other friends and family members attending the Women's March in Washington. Then last week I marched against the immigration ban here at home in Memphis. Yesterday I attended our county commission meeting to protest the back-door defunding of a Planned Parenthood program that had nothing to do with abortion. I've called, emailed, and postcarded. I've donated to ACLU.

I am a retired white grandma who hasn't been politically active since college in the seventies. I'm woke! Haha.
posted by raisingsand at 5:46 PM on February 7, 2017 [8 favorites]


I've started a FB page by myself (activist) and a therapist friend focused on resilience, hope and survival for activists (one post per day) called Good Morning from the Resistance.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:41 AM on February 8, 2017 [1 favorite]


It's more personal progress than actual resistence fighting but my therapist and I actually have realized that we can use the phrase "alternative fact" to help me dismantle the programming put in place by cult like abuse. Like it was a big break through today via email with her that since it is so obvious that Trump and his backers are lying and are a perfect representation of the powerful evil people who hurt me and his voters like the people who refused to believe me as a child and still doubt now because who believes in abuse so extreme. Since I can see that any words out of their mouths are manipulative gaslighting abusive garbage then when I have thoughts that have been shaped by abuse (telling me I am evil and everyone is being hurt by me being alive and I deserve to die for the choices I made as a child) I should try just labeling them as "alternative facts"

Per another MeFite's suggestion, I've been trying to put all the negative thoughts I have about myself in Trump's voice. And then I imagine Obama refuting him, saying "Well, uh, Donald, we've known for a long time now that [insert sensible positive statement here]"
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 12:40 PM on February 9, 2017 [2 favorites]


Got pussyhats from a member here. I appreciate the generosity and work that went into it, and they are wonderful hats. I'm not sure if I should mention their name as that didn't come up.
posted by bongo_x at 3:19 PM on February 15, 2017


Our Indivisible group has met thrice. Next week we divide into working groups and get to work on specific issues. We have 300 in the FB group and get 100 or so at larger meetings.

We're having a local rally against the anti-Muslim/anti-immigrant policies. We're expecting several thousand. It'll likely be the biggest rally here since the late 1960s. We're lining up speakers and the like.
posted by persona au gratin at 2:00 AM on February 18, 2017 [5 favorites]


Glad to hear other Indivisible groups are in similar positions. We have met three times now in Denver, working groups have existed for about two weeks. If anyone wants to talk technology implementation for their local activist group, message me.

Also I'm now treasurer for the Democrats in my state house district.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:44 AM on February 18, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'm going to my congressman's office hours this week. I need to read up on what it's feasible to talk about effectively and prepare an agenda!
posted by ignignokt at 6:33 PM on February 18, 2017


On president's day here in NYC there's a pretty big rally called NOT MY PREISDENT planned in Central Park, 12-4

detials
posted by The Whelk at 10:44 PM on February 18, 2017 [1 favorite]


Not My President March in Milwaukee

Looks like this is happening in a lot of cities. Click on "agenda" on the right and choose 2/20 from the date picker. SLC, Augusta (Maine), Baltimore, San Jose, Columbia (SC), Portland, DC, Indy ,Philly, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago and about 20 more. I wish they had a map, but it's not my site.
posted by AFABulous at 10:30 AM on February 19, 2017


I did another thing: Passed the test for my US Amateur Radio Technician License, and got an obnoxiously yellow portable radio to transmit and recieve on for when my license gets input into the system at the FCC.

If you choose to go my route, the radio from Amazon can be purchased by itself, or with a longer antenna and programming cable for the CHIRP programming software. Both are highly recommended; with the cable and the software, you can get a list of all the local repeaters for an area, and then upload them to your radio quite easily. And the antenna makes transmission and reception more effective. All three together were about $100 USD.

I hope that I never have to use this in an emergency, but I'll be prepared in case I have to.
posted by spinifex23 at 6:32 PM on February 19, 2017 [4 favorites]


Tonight I'm going to Light The Way for Refugees and Immigrants, a silent rally that will line the street by our local Refugee office. I've got my "Won't You Be My Neighbor" sign and some led lights to deck myself out with. Similar gatherings are taking place at two other cities in the state.
posted by PussKillian at 8:17 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]


I took a break working on my blog Cybersecurity for the Trumped, but I've started adding stuff again. I'm currently working on a post about crossing the US border with data and devices.
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:26 AM on February 20, 2017


Oh, and tomorrow one of our elusive Senators is speaking at a business group that is basically around to fund Republican candidates, so there's a rally set to go ask her why she is showing up for them but not for her constituents. I should probably get more posterboard.
posted by PussKillian at 9:38 AM on February 20, 2017 [1 favorite]


I put more info in the more recent MeTa in order to hopefully catch more eyeballs, but Frowner and I started a Facebook effort to coordinate among Minnesota MeFites. More info here.
posted by nickmark at 6:13 AM on February 22, 2017


We had a community meeting about how to deal with the Encroaching Awfulness and concrete things people can do. I have a hard time sitting in rooms talking with people about feelings so I offered to be the house manager who opened and closed the doors and stocked the bathrooms and hung out in the music hall where the meeting was. Present but not participating in that way. It was really encouraging. People broke up into groups based on issues and except for one woman who was clearly having some issues (wanted to talk about how the CIA were all murderers and had a specific "they are all after me" concern and the polite people maybe gave her the floor for too long) it sounded very productive. All three of my state reps were there and I spoke with two of them specifically about my concerns and also got to thank them for coming with my official badge on. Today I go sign a public letter/ad for a friend who is running for town selectboard and check out the new space where I'll be offering drop-in computer time in Barre (expanding to a second location after ten years!).

I've also been working to have productive conversations about Milo's book now that it's been cancelled and the role of intellectual freedom in libraries, threading that needle between personally finding him and his book disgusting but also giving people who want to read it access to it, etc.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 6:50 AM on February 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


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