This was partly a counter-protest, because some (not many, as it turned out) white supremacists were rallying under the extremely dubious claim of being for free speech.
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cattitude and I took some time out from packing/move prep to go to the rally with adrian_turtle and her ex-housemate Cyd. The crowd was small when we got to Boston Common, because a lot of people were gathering in Roxbury and marching over, which we didn't think we were up for physically. It was good being with them—I've known Cyd casually for years, but haven't had time for many lengthy or substantive conversations. This time we had some good conversation on our way there and back, and catching our breath in my living room afterwards.
So, we chanted some, looked at interesting signs, and left when we were tired and the crowd was large enough that we felt less need of our presence. The eventual number was somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 of us, and less than a hundred of them.) Mayor Marty Walsh tweeted late this afternoon that he was proud of Boston that so many of us were there, not mentioning that he had urged us to stay away and not give the Nazis the attention he said they wanted. Fuck that; we've tried ignoring them, and it doesn't work.
If I'd been sure before 8 this morning that I'd be there, I might have had a sign myself; as it was, I settled for a "black lives matter" pin on a Wiscon 20 t-shirt. Once we're moved, I'm going to get some appropriate-sized cardboard and make a sign or two that is general enough to carry more than once, since I haven't been making event/issue-specific ones. Maybe "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." I do like the one I've seen a few times since the election that says "Can't believe I still have to protest this shit." Other things I liked today included a simple "Oy gevalt."
ETA: Apparently I don't have to get ice cream after protesting, though if we hadn't been thinking of how much more needed doing today I probably would have pushed for a trip to Tosci's or Lizzy's.
I'm fairly sure there was something more substantive that I wanted to add, but it has slipped my mind again.
cattitude and I took some time out from packing/move prep to go to the rally with adrian_turtle and her ex-housemate Cyd. The crowd was small when we got to Boston Common, because a lot of people were gathering in Roxbury and marching over, which we didn't think we were up for physically. It was good being with them—I've known Cyd casually for years, but haven't had time for many lengthy or substantive conversations. This time we had some good conversation on our way there and back, and catching our breath in my living room afterwards.So, we chanted some, looked at interesting signs, and left when we were tired and the crowd was large enough that we felt less need of our presence. The eventual number was somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 of us, and less than a hundred of them.) Mayor Marty Walsh tweeted late this afternoon that he was proud of Boston that so many of us were there, not mentioning that he had urged us to stay away and not give the Nazis the attention he said they wanted. Fuck that; we've tried ignoring them, and it doesn't work.
If I'd been sure before 8 this morning that I'd be there, I might have had a sign myself; as it was, I settled for a "black lives matter" pin on a Wiscon 20 t-shirt. Once we're moved, I'm going to get some appropriate-sized cardboard and make a sign or two that is general enough to carry more than once, since I haven't been making event/issue-specific ones. Maybe "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." I do like the one I've seen a few times since the election that says "Can't believe I still have to protest this shit." Other things I liked today included a simple "Oy gevalt."
ETA: Apparently I don't have to get ice cream after protesting, though if we hadn't been thinking of how much more needed doing today I probably would have pushed for a trip to Tosci's or Lizzy's.
I'm fairly sure there was something more substantive that I wanted to add, but it has slipped my mind again.
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