My little town of Sisters in Central Oregon had over 800 people lining the main drag where cars had to go 20 mph. There was a lot of honking and high energy. It was great. Only a few people flipped us off ha ha
I went with my brother-in-law to the April 5 “Hands Off!” March in Washington DC. He had driven up from Knoxville, Tennessee. This was my second march ever; the first was about a month ago when I went to support the retired DOI employees in front of the Main Interior building. Then, there were perhaps 30 of us (but we had a microphone!).
Yesterday was a new experience. My husband dropped us off at 11:30 at First Street near the Capitol building, and we walked to the Washington Monument. Our first priority was finding the porta-potties, which we did after some wandering. Then we edged our way into the crowd to be able to hear the speakers.
Every type of sign imaginable was in view. Some were profane, some irate, some humorous—all valid expressions of the dissatisfaction and outrage over the disregard for our constitution, our established protections for people in this country. Every type of person was there, too, from fired federal workers to veterans to parents of children with special needs to LGBQT+ groups. We happened to be standing where handicapped people were allowed access, so frequently we were asked to “make a hole, coming through!” by the escorts.
Everyone was kind. One lady behind me thanked a person in a wheelchair for coming. Another complimented my hair. I complimented the girl's sweater in front of me, and told her she looked great in it. The guy whose foot I stepped on was very gracious and forgave me. There was shouting in response to the speakers, organized chanting, but I saw no violence whatsoever.
We stayed to listen 2 hours, then our old knees complained enough that we decided to walk, and we left the crowd. I can't begin to estimate the numbers of people there. After working in DC for 20 years I know the regular numbers of tourists on a spring day; this was far more. Twenty thousand? Hard to tell with my limited view on the ground.
We walked to the World War II memorial, then on to the Lincoln Memorial. We saw fellow protesters with their signs doing the same thing we were doing. The most heart-wrenching (to me) sign I was was on the back of one man's T-shirt: “Fired federal worker. Need a job or someone to buy my house.”
From the Lincoln Memorial we walked back to where my husband dropped us off, only to see the Palestine marchers organizing. There seemed to be as many of them as there were people who showed up for “Hands Off!” They, too were polite, nonviolent. But marching relentlessly forward. In total we walked 6 miles yesterday.
I want to thank the police and National Park rangers and Park Police who helped with traffic, directed us to the restrooms, and otherwise instructed us. Thanks to the medics and first responders who were there too. Thanks to the organizers who arranged all the logistics and support. And thanks to every single person who showed up. I will never forget this experience.
Everyone who went to a HandsOff! protest has a personal story. Here's mine: "I am an old radical gratified to welcome a new generation of radicals. HandsOff! proved that if it comes to it we won't hang alone." Like lots of the articles online I include photos I took. You can also see what I looked like as a student protester in 1970.
The Hands Off protest, Cory Booker, and all the thousands (maybe millions around the globe!!) are on our way to get these nasty nematodes out of our House! Let's go Congress! Join the fun!
It would be nice to have a tally of verified estimates for all of the protests nationwide. altnps.bsky.social estimates a total of over 5 million protesters.
TELL ADVERTISERS: STOP SUPPORTING RIGHT-WING MEDIA
Because that is the root of this whole problem.
We must put an end to their brainwashing of our fellow citizens. And we can fight back. Here’s how.
Contact advertisers who support right-wing hate-stoking and let them know that you don't approve of the lies and mean-spirited distortions these media serve up. Tell them that you object to the support of racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, and corrupt, fascist cronyism. Be polite, respectful, and business-like but be clear.
As a life-long advertising professional, I can tell you with certainty that the marketing people at these companies really do pay attention to these kinds of complaints – and they are quite often responsive, and in some cases, even over-react to negative feedback from consumers.
I have gotten advertisers to take real action with my communications with them. I have gotten expensive ads pulled and had marketing directors apologize for unwittingly supporting hateful trash in media.
Advertisers got Glenn Beck off the air. Advertisers dropped X in droves because of Musk. Major advertisers also dropped Laura Ingraham's show for her crackpot comments. But we can do much, more with a broad-scale, focused, and relentless effort.
Here's a great place to get good contact info for major marketers:
And, if you're in a restaurant or bar and they have the TV tuned to that rubbish, let them know you don't approve. You don't have to sit and eat and watch this dreck. You can leave – and let them know why.
Right-wing media fuels Trumpism. We need to fight back against this supply of lies and hate. And you can really help make that happen.
Agreed, but we also must fight back against the lame coverage/reporting from the so-called "mainstream media" who are not standing up to the moment or calling out this regime for its authoritarian stances on just about everything, its unlawful actions on so many fronts and so forth. The occasional soft-pedaled article voicing some concern or discontent on the part of "the left" or "left-leaning" politicians and citizens just doesn't cut it.
Where are the MSM reports on these events??? Tiny little articles, disappointing and small headlines, "tens of thousands" of protestors in DC? Even the Guardian's reporting is disappointingly small.
Yesterday was indeed a fantastic day. The show of numbers was really inspiring and impressive. Now the hard work begins. We have to resist on multiple fronts. We must also be honest about where we stand as a nation. I was one of the leaders of a large Indivisible group in my home state after Trump's first victory. In those days the resistance groups like Indivisible were new. Using a combination of approaches we successfully flipped the House and many state legislatures as well. We must recognize that Republicans have learned from their "mistakes" and the same tools we used in the "old days" will likely not be nearly as effective. Phone banking, texting, postcards, knocking on doors are still necessary, but they are not likely to be sufficient without other actions. Similarly the lawsuits now being pursued are necessary, but they too will likely not be completely successful particularly when it comes to protecting elections which is the key to restoring democracy. The SCOTUS track record on all matters related to elections is disgraceful and doesn't bode well for the midterms. Republicans both nationally and on the state level have made it crystal clear they intend to manipulate elections by a variety of means including voter suppression (voter ID requirements), extreme gerrymandering and likely a significant amount of outright fraud. (that's why the win in Wisconsin was so important) Figuring out how to protect elections must be of the utmost importance to resistance groups. We can discuss how best to do this, but for now the first step is to recognize the problem. Republicans are lawless and there's no reason to believe they will relinquish control peacefully. The Republican insurrection leaves no doubt (we must hold the entire party accountable). We cannot sit idly by waiting for the midterms to rescue us. We must plan now on how we are going to make sure that all those Americans that are sick and tired of Republican authoritarianism have an opportunity to vote. Republicans know how unpopular their "policies" are. The best explanation for why they are pursuing them despite their unpopularity with their own constituents is they believe they cannot be voted out of office. This is the challenge we must meet if we are to restore some form of American democracy.
I texted yesterday to share early estimates of attendance in Tucson at 6,000…the final number was between 10,000 and 15,000!! Woohoo! So uplifting to be part of this effort and to hopefully encourage many of the people who drove by honking that they too can participate in future rallies!
Millions turned out, and main stream media isn’t doing a great job at covering it. I joined 10,000 in Rhode Island— family joined large groups in Asheville and Oakland. NYC was huge— it was validating. It can’t be a “ one and done “— too much is at stake and so many care. But what does happen next?
My little town of Sisters in Central Oregon had over 800 people lining the main drag where cars had to go 20 mph. There was a lot of honking and high energy. It was great. Only a few people flipped us off ha ha
Sisters is a beautiful place. Keep it up.
We love Sisters!!
I went with my brother-in-law to the April 5 “Hands Off!” March in Washington DC. He had driven up from Knoxville, Tennessee. This was my second march ever; the first was about a month ago when I went to support the retired DOI employees in front of the Main Interior building. Then, there were perhaps 30 of us (but we had a microphone!).
Yesterday was a new experience. My husband dropped us off at 11:30 at First Street near the Capitol building, and we walked to the Washington Monument. Our first priority was finding the porta-potties, which we did after some wandering. Then we edged our way into the crowd to be able to hear the speakers.
Every type of sign imaginable was in view. Some were profane, some irate, some humorous—all valid expressions of the dissatisfaction and outrage over the disregard for our constitution, our established protections for people in this country. Every type of person was there, too, from fired federal workers to veterans to parents of children with special needs to LGBQT+ groups. We happened to be standing where handicapped people were allowed access, so frequently we were asked to “make a hole, coming through!” by the escorts.
Everyone was kind. One lady behind me thanked a person in a wheelchair for coming. Another complimented my hair. I complimented the girl's sweater in front of me, and told her she looked great in it. The guy whose foot I stepped on was very gracious and forgave me. There was shouting in response to the speakers, organized chanting, but I saw no violence whatsoever.
We stayed to listen 2 hours, then our old knees complained enough that we decided to walk, and we left the crowd. I can't begin to estimate the numbers of people there. After working in DC for 20 years I know the regular numbers of tourists on a spring day; this was far more. Twenty thousand? Hard to tell with my limited view on the ground.
We walked to the World War II memorial, then on to the Lincoln Memorial. We saw fellow protesters with their signs doing the same thing we were doing. The most heart-wrenching (to me) sign I was was on the back of one man's T-shirt: “Fired federal worker. Need a job or someone to buy my house.”
From the Lincoln Memorial we walked back to where my husband dropped us off, only to see the Palestine marchers organizing. There seemed to be as many of them as there were people who showed up for “Hands Off!” They, too were polite, nonviolent. But marching relentlessly forward. In total we walked 6 miles yesterday.
I want to thank the police and National Park rangers and Park Police who helped with traffic, directed us to the restrooms, and otherwise instructed us. Thanks to the medics and first responders who were there too. Thanks to the organizers who arranged all the logistics and support. And thanks to every single person who showed up. I will never forget this experience.
Thanks a lot for your detailed description of yesterday‘s march. I had similar experiencia in MIami, Fl and I am ready for the next one.
It's a good start---let's keep the pressure on!
Everyone who went to a HandsOff! protest has a personal story. Here's mine: "I am an old radical gratified to welcome a new generation of radicals. HandsOff! proved that if it comes to it we won't hang alone." Like lots of the articles online I include photos I took. You can also see what I looked like as a student protester in 1970.
https://halbrown.substack.com/p/i-am-an-old-radical-gratified-to
Thx. Good stuff.
And thanks for your good work at the IMF. I am honored to have you respond to me.
The Hands Off protest, Cory Booker, and all the thousands (maybe millions around the globe!!) are on our way to get these nasty nematodes out of our House! Let's go Congress! Join the fun!
It would be nice to have a tally of verified estimates for all of the protests nationwide. altnps.bsky.social estimates a total of over 5 million protesters.
They estimate 5.3 million— I think that warrants media coverage! I’d also like to know verified estimates from other sources.
TELL ADVERTISERS: STOP SUPPORTING RIGHT-WING MEDIA
Because that is the root of this whole problem.
We must put an end to their brainwashing of our fellow citizens. And we can fight back. Here’s how.
Contact advertisers who support right-wing hate-stoking and let them know that you don't approve of the lies and mean-spirited distortions these media serve up. Tell them that you object to the support of racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, and corrupt, fascist cronyism. Be polite, respectful, and business-like but be clear.
As a life-long advertising professional, I can tell you with certainty that the marketing people at these companies really do pay attention to these kinds of complaints – and they are quite often responsive, and in some cases, even over-react to negative feedback from consumers.
I have gotten advertisers to take real action with my communications with them. I have gotten expensive ads pulled and had marketing directors apologize for unwittingly supporting hateful trash in media.
Advertisers got Glenn Beck off the air. Advertisers dropped X in droves because of Musk. Major advertisers also dropped Laura Ingraham's show for her crackpot comments. But we can do much, more with a broad-scale, focused, and relentless effort.
Here's a great place to get good contact info for major marketers:
https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/...
Here’s where you can find out who advertises where: https://whoadvertiseson.org/
And, if you're in a restaurant or bar and they have the TV tuned to that rubbish, let them know you don't approve. You don't have to sit and eat and watch this dreck. You can leave – and let them know why.
Right-wing media fuels Trumpism. We need to fight back against this supply of lies and hate. And you can really help make that happen.
Agreed, but we also must fight back against the lame coverage/reporting from the so-called "mainstream media" who are not standing up to the moment or calling out this regime for its authoritarian stances on just about everything, its unlawful actions on so many fronts and so forth. The occasional soft-pedaled article voicing some concern or discontent on the part of "the left" or "left-leaning" politicians and citizens just doesn't cut it.
Indeed. Agreed. We have an emergency on our hands. And we are reaching a point of no return.
Where are the MSM reports on these events??? Tiny little articles, disappointing and small headlines, "tens of thousands" of protestors in DC? Even the Guardian's reporting is disappointingly small.
I’ve seen reports in German and French mainstream media, they’re seeing us.
Yesterday was indeed a fantastic day. The show of numbers was really inspiring and impressive. Now the hard work begins. We have to resist on multiple fronts. We must also be honest about where we stand as a nation. I was one of the leaders of a large Indivisible group in my home state after Trump's first victory. In those days the resistance groups like Indivisible were new. Using a combination of approaches we successfully flipped the House and many state legislatures as well. We must recognize that Republicans have learned from their "mistakes" and the same tools we used in the "old days" will likely not be nearly as effective. Phone banking, texting, postcards, knocking on doors are still necessary, but they are not likely to be sufficient without other actions. Similarly the lawsuits now being pursued are necessary, but they too will likely not be completely successful particularly when it comes to protecting elections which is the key to restoring democracy. The SCOTUS track record on all matters related to elections is disgraceful and doesn't bode well for the midterms. Republicans both nationally and on the state level have made it crystal clear they intend to manipulate elections by a variety of means including voter suppression (voter ID requirements), extreme gerrymandering and likely a significant amount of outright fraud. (that's why the win in Wisconsin was so important) Figuring out how to protect elections must be of the utmost importance to resistance groups. We can discuss how best to do this, but for now the first step is to recognize the problem. Republicans are lawless and there's no reason to believe they will relinquish control peacefully. The Republican insurrection leaves no doubt (we must hold the entire party accountable). We cannot sit idly by waiting for the midterms to rescue us. We must plan now on how we are going to make sure that all those Americans that are sick and tired of Republican authoritarianism have an opportunity to vote. Republicans know how unpopular their "policies" are. The best explanation for why they are pursuing them despite their unpopularity with their own constituents is they believe they cannot be voted out of office. This is the challenge we must meet if we are to restore some form of American democracy.
Thank you for your comment. So well said!
Thank you! What a wonderful turnout. People are energized and finding their voices. Speak truth to power!
Thank you one and all. Let's kick tRump et.al. to the curb.
I texted yesterday to share early estimates of attendance in Tucson at 6,000…the final number was between 10,000 and 15,000!! Woohoo! So uplifting to be part of this effort and to hopefully encourage many of the people who drove by honking that they too can participate in future rallies!
They have got another thing coming! So many joined together all over the country we're going to continue to grow and organize.
As an 80+ expat living in southern Mexico, I am so grateful to all of you for showing up and pushing back. With you in spirit. Keep going!👏🥰🌈
Finally, an accurate press description of the Asheville protest by "The Asheville Watchdog." Estimated crowd 7,500 -- enormous for this small mountain city. https://avlwatchdog.org/thousands-crowd-into-ashevilles-pack-square-to-protest-president-trumps-policies-as-part-of-the-nationwide-hands-off-movement/?mc_cid=a3b70dc82f&mc_eid=c1b92046a7
Thanks for the link! The multiple April 5th protests were barely reported on in the US mainstream media, much to their shame and owing to cowardice.
Millions turned out, and main stream media isn’t doing a great job at covering it. I joined 10,000 in Rhode Island— family joined large groups in Asheville and Oakland. NYC was huge— it was validating. It can’t be a “ one and done “— too much is at stake and so many care. But what does happen next?