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ACCORDING TO LIZ - Depending on your news sources, Saturday showed violence in the streets across the country and masses turning out to celebrate Trump’s birthday bash with a full-on Bastille Day-style military extravaganza… or millions of Americans peacefully protesting against a government that has been taken over by an out-of-control autocrat.
With two thousand rallies scheduled in all 50 states, between four and six million Americans showed up to express their opposition to the man who would be king.
From 74 in tiny Kernville to as many as 100,000 in San Francisco, 25,000 braving ICE and Marines in LA, 50,000 protested in NYC, 80,000 in Philly, while tens of thousand packed the streets of Chicago – in contrast to the sparsely populated military march for Trump.
Organizers called for the cancellation of Minnesota events when fliers for No Kings rallies found alongside the target list of the man who murdered State Representative and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. and shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
Melissa Hortman was a strong advocate for the people, a leader for abortion rights and gender-affirming care, led police reform efforts after the George Floyd murder and worked for gun safety legislation, and helped pass legislation that improved the lives of children and families in Minnesota.
But the news did not break until many were well on the road to protest, and most continued on, seizing the opportunity to express their grief, observe moments of silence for the victims, and engage in conversations about the escalation of political violence under MAGA-rule.
A core principle of No Kings events was a commitment to nonviolent action. All participants were to de-escalate potential confrontations with those who disagreed with them and to behave lawfully at all times.
Americans who had never before protested came bearing signs on issues of importance to them; an Army veteran hoisted a placard: “I served for freedom — not fascism.” Others addressed more matters curtailed under the current administration – human rights and the rule of law, freedom of speech and the escalating costs of living and the decimation of public services, grassroots passion in stark contrast to Trump presiding on a platform over a grandiose display of military tanks and soldiers through barren streets.
Reportedly more people turned out in Idaho for No Kings events than thronged – if you could call it that – the parade route in DC with its virtually empty bleachers and walls of tall, black crowd-control fences blocking the view for any who did show. Soldiers obeyed the Commander-in-Chief, the tanks showed up, except… where was the crowd?
Oh, send in the clowns. Poor Donnie can’t even stage his own parade even with $45 millions in taxpayer money.
Inevitable comparisons were drawn – everywhere – between mad King George III whose disregard for the colonies fomented the creation of this country, Adolph Hitler’s maniacal militarism and murderous discrimination, and now Trump’s shredding of the American contract to recognize the rule of law and welcome immigrants to the land of the free.
We all live in separate worlds, some of our own choosing – who we select as friends, whether we engage with family members, what our hobbies are and where we choose to live. Some imposed upon us – boarding school, prison, political party, church…
Within political parties there are always factions. Until recent years, these chose to act together for the good of the party, for the good of the country, for the good of all Americans. Now both the Democratic and Republican parties are fracturing before our eyes.
The hike I attended was a rain or sun event – “dress appropriately.” But overnight the predicted rain headed south to rain on Trump’s parade.
Figuratively, at least. Perhaps worse, a miserable humid drizzle with heavy cloud cover forcing a halt to the flyovers that so enthralled Trump when watching military extravaganzas staged for the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. And all-too reminiscent of Reichstag and brown shirts.
The patchily populated National Mall was in sharp contrast to the 600 Vermonters I joined in Morrisville, Vermont for the hike where we listened to a local folk singer/songwriter and enjoyed meeting new neighbors before Bernie Sanders stepped on stage.
Bernie talked about peace and neighborliness, developing a sense of community, compassion, humanity and humanitarianism, the harm of too much time spent on cellphones and computers and not enough with family and friends.
People who care about our country, of freedom and unity, that democracy works when you fight for it.
Back in the nation’s capital, the parade route was eerily quiet while hard rock music squawked over speakers.
There’s an older rock song from the musical “JC Superstar.” Judas has always been a conflicted figure in the Bible, but his words here ring especially true when directed straight at Trump:
“You started to believe the things they say of you. You really do believe this talk of god is true! And all the good you've done will soon get swept away. You've begun to matter more than the things you say.
“You have set them all on fire. They think they've found the new Messiah. And they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong.
“All your followers are blind. Too much heaven on their minds. People who are hungry, people who are starving, they matter more than your feet and hair!
“You sad, pathetic man. See where you've brought us to. Our ideals die around us, and all because of you! But now the saddest part of all, is someone has to turn you in like a common criminal, like a wounded animal. A jaded mandarin.”
Jesus Christ himself did not set himself above Roman law. He adhered to separation of state and church, saying: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”
We don’t have to accept the solitudes dividing the United States today. We don’t have to accept the political othering of anyone Trump and religious zealots view as opponents, telling supporters to treat them as sub-human.
And we shouldn’t automatically declare the murders in Minnesota politically motivated when it appears the gunman’s reasoning is yet undetermined and may have more to do with his religious beliefs and inability to find a job in today’s economic environment.
We don’t have to magnify other people’s hate by engaging with them or those we suspect they represent. Americans can choose to let that go and enjoy life in the present.
We can vote for people like Bernie Sanders, and Tim Walz who, when faced with the murders of friends, rejected violence as a legitimate means of expressing dissent and encouraged peaceful discourse as the basis of our democracy.
Before our hike moved out along the peaceful Lamoille Valley Rail Trail with its green trees and peaceful river a far cry from the unneeded crowd barriers in our nation’s capital, the organizers invited the young and young-at-heart in our Vermont crowd to sing the state song which starts:
“These green hills and silver waters
are my home. They belong to me.
And to all of her sons and daughters
May they be strong and forever free.
And Alex Padilla who ended a Sunday morning e-mail blast on his forcible takedown and detention for doing his job as California’s senior Senator with:
“I won’t be intimidated. I won’t back down from doing my job as your United States Senator. “But it’s not about me. As Americans, we all have a duty to use our voices, to speak up, and to peacefully protest on behalf of our neighbors, our communities, and our state. “Stay safe and stay peaceful”
(Liz Amsden is a former Angeleno who now resides in Vermont and is a regular contributor to CityWatch on issues that she is passionate about. She can be reached at [email protected].)
