Nature handed us cold, wind, and rain the entire time, and yet the turnout for Hands Off at the New York State Capitol looked to be several thousand Americans who are sick and tired of an authoritarian administration run by a cruel, amoral, abusive, lying felon and his billionaire enablers.
Despite the weather, the crowd was enthusiastic, the signs plentiful and creative. The faces I saw were mostly middle-aged and white, which was disappointing. I was hoping for more diversity, a broader and inclusive coalition. There weren’t many young adults in the crowd. I didn’t feel the presence of college students. The only black person I saw was Antonio Delgado, the lieutenant governor of New York, who slipped out of his dark SUV under the cover of an umbrella held by one of his security handlers, made his way to the podium, gave a short speech, and left.
I can see why people don’t want to demonstrate. Do shouting slogans and carrying signs really achieve anything? Maybe—if enough people follow civil rights leader John Lewis’ exhortation to cause “good trouble.” Demonstrations helped women gain the right to vote. It helped increase civil rights protections. It helped draw attention to the criminal futility of the Vietnam War.
I went and stood in the rain and the wind because I wanted to be counted among those who are against what’s happening in our country. I want to be part of a collective that believes the United States government should regulate business, provide a social safety net, build infrastructure, and protect voting and civil rights. And I want to expend my energy beyond my small, personal circle of people.
I believe demonstrating and protesting is better than doing nothing, better than being silent, better than just reading the news and curling up into a quivering ball of anxiety.
It isn’t going to be easy. Half the voters in this country gave their blessing to the chaos now consuming us. The rest of us must carry signs and shout and when the time comes, vote these fuckers out.
