On Sunday 9/11, the scene downtown near the WTC was very subdued. We covered a large sidewalk area with anti-war displays, including a drone model and large banners. No one in authority said a word, though we had applied for no permits. MANY fewer people walked by than we saw in 2011 when we did a similar display at the same location. But people from Syria, Afghanistan, all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, stopped to talk. Fewer people took our flyers than have done so recently, including when we protested the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia and ran out of materials.
Lots of young people said how sad they feel; one said “this is hopeless.” We got thank-yous from people who stopped to view and converse. We had some arguments too.
A small Trump contingent chanted “USA ALL THE WAY!”
We asked, “All the way to where?”
“Wherever we need to go?”
We asked, “Should the USA kill another one million people in Iraq?”
“Who cares? They want to kill us!”
It’s not possible to have a conversation based on reason with people waving the flag in your face.