not usually a marching guy but geez ...

[calimac]

As my post title suggests, I empathize with this guy. When I heard about the Women's March in Washington scheduled for today, I found myself thinking that, if it were less logistically infeasible, I would go. So when I learned there would be a satellite march right here in San Jose, entirely feasible for me, I felt I had no excuse not to go.

This despite the fact that I'm not a march or rally person, and in fact had never been to one before. My feeling is that such events are fairly useless, serving little function other than to make the marchers feel good, and nothing that happened today changed my mind about that. So one perspective said it was pointless to go. But geez ... I couldn't not protest what happened yesterday. So there I was, adding but one warm body to the mix, but that's what I had to add. (B. has been ill, and has even more trouble walking than do I, so she stayed home.)

The march was scheduled for 10 am; uncertain about parking, I arrived at 8:30 and had no trouble. I was at the city hall courtyard where we were to gather by 9:30, and spent an hour and a half watching people mill, and hastily draw up signs. There were women of all ages, including girls, and with a smattering of ethnicities. About 10% of the marchers were men. There were lots of pink knit hats, and near the beginning when rain was still threatening some pink umbrellas too, some with pussy ears attached. The signs ranged from the direct:

• Keep the Immigrants, Deport Trump
• Build a Wall Around Trump: I'll Pay For It

to the allusive:

• All You Need is Love, Equal Rights, and Coffee
• Without Hermione, Harry Would've Died in Book One

to the aggressive:

• Tiny Hands Off My Pussy
• Tuck Frump
• Nicht Mein Führer

to the directly feminist:

• My Vagina Has a Lot To Say
• Thou Shalt Not Mess with Women's Reproductive Rights - Fallopians 1:21

to the indirectly feminist:

• This Pussy Uses Claws
• Fight Like a Girl
• WWMD: What Would Michelle Do?

to the self-referential:

• I Can't Believe We Still Have to Protest This Crap
• I Wouldn't Even Let Him Pet My Cat

About 11:10 the march got going. How many were there I couldn't guess, though a news helicopter hovering overhead might have some idea, and I did see the marchers covering an entire long city block of street, three lanes wide curb to curb, and that was considerably less than half. The march route crossed the light rail tracks, where a train was waiting. A transit worker with a bullhorn requested us to clear the tracks, and the marchers, otherwise mostly occupied chanting "This is what democracy looks like," switched to "Clear the tracks!" for a bit, and gradually did, letting out a cheer as the train passed through. I was very pleased to see this courtesy, as I consider deliberately blocking traffic to be a morally heinous act.

After about 50 minutes we were all gathered at Chavez Plaza. (Attendees of the San Jose Worldcon will remember this as the big oval plaza with the ground fountains in front of the Fairmont.) A podium with loudspeakers was set up at one end, and I listened to various local dignitaries and activists, about half of whom I'd heard of, emit invigorating blasts of hot air for about an hour, and then headed off in search of lunch, another popular activity among the marchers.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Thank you for going.

I disagree that such gatherings, especially in such strength are useless. The sea of pink pussy hats would have been impossible when I was young. That suggests to me that the younger generation of women have a better grasp of their rights and powers as individuals than we did, and are rousing themselves. Yep, a lot of them didn't vote (especially when Bernie lost to Hillary) but faced with the horror of what we've got now, feel impelled to do what they can.

Will there be a direct result? Np. There wasn't a direct result of MLK's marches either, but there are many social historians who believe that powerless people gathering in mass to protect become a visible reminder to those in power that there are stirrings among those the power mongers would as soon settle down into their sheepdom and submit to being fleeced.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing tweets and posts from all over the world, mostly from women busy networking, exchanging information, taking heart in finding the like-minded, and thus taking the first steps toward organizing into action. Even if that action is specific, like seeing that high school students get condoms.

It gives me hope that as the kleptocrats begin systematically trying to dismantle the country into negotiable bits that can be stored in the Caymans accounts, while they do their best to eradicate painfully won human rights, the younger generation is going to fight back.

[danceswithwaves.livejournal.com]

Last night, as my sister and I were making signs, she referenced Tiananmen Square based on what Trump had just said about "friendly military marches." And I told her that Tiananmen Square was impossible today in the USA. And the reason for that is because of the sheer number of people who were mobilizing to be out protesting.

A visual reminder of the number of people who are here to fight for our rights, despite not having a single agenda (something I feel makes it weaker for specifically getting things done but also means that more people show up) can make Congress take notice - they're up for reelection in two years. And also it makes a Tiananmen Square situation impossible. We can't be overrun because there are too many of us, and we are energized because we know we can't be overrun.

Granted, I'm hoping this energy carries forward into the fight, but it's a good start that makes it easier to see who and what we're dealing with for allies, as well as enemies.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

Thank you for going. I did something stupid to my right foot, and am not good for long or even short walks, so I didn't try.

I don't think we know what's going to work, this time around. But the marches give hope. When we see the sheer number of people who march, it lets us know that we are not alone. By themselves they are laughably insufficient, but they may be an important part of the total resistance. So thank you.

[(Anonymous)]

My general sentiments about protest marches and my experience today match yours. A police statement said there were 15,000 marching in Cleveland; the crowd seemed at least twice as large to me, but as you note, it's hard for a participant to get perspective.

One sign I saw online had an s.f. theme: "Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again".

-MTD/neb

[voidampersand.livejournal.com]

I should have gone. I'm glad you went. As lydy said, it gives hope.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Love the 'biblical' quote! :o)

Big marches this side too even with all our own shit.