About a dozen activists from Orange County met up in Anaheim and carpooled to the Los Angeles rally. We eventually ran into a handful more during the rally. We had a good mix of young and old, men and women. I brought my two high-schoolers to march with me. Missing school in order to learn first hand the lessons of democracy, civic duty, moral responsibility, and activism seemed like a good trade-off to me. Almost everyone came ready with their hand-made signs. And for the few who were not, extra ones were available. Our organizer for the O.C. area came with a huge American flag which had a peace symbol on the field of stars.
The day was beautiful and our spirits were high. It was a wonderful
feeling to take a stand and to be among like-minded people. We talked
and shared our viewpoints during the commute. We cheered on and
applauded the speakers and the singers as we listened to them at
Pershing Square. We chanted and waved our signs and flag as we marched
the streets of downtown L.A. Mock coffins draped with flags were
carried in a solemn procession, people in orange jumpsuits and black
hoods were lead on a leash, and people in masks comically mimicked the
Thief of State. Along the route pedestrians, shoppers, and office
workers gestured peace signs and thumbs-up to us. We were loud but
peaceful. The police force was visible but not visibly antagonistic.
We did not see any arrests or confrontations. Our final stop was in
front of the Federal Building. The front of the building was lined
with about 20 officers dressed in riot gear. We gathered and listened
to more activist speakers and entertainers. Our group had to leave
before the whole event ended because my children still had homework to
do and we did have a bit of a drive ahead of us.
On the way back, a few of us exchanged e-mails and promised to stay
in-touch in order to support one another in our efforts to take back
the future of this country.
Thank you very much for organizing this event. It was well planned and well executed.