Last Thursday in San Jose, local kossacks joined with various environmental organizations to protest the Keystone Pipeline. We met up with navajo and her Daily Kos banner but wondered where all the protesters were that we expected to see. We found out that another group of protesters had been blocked off at Plaza de César Chávez, across from the Fairmont Hotel. Police and security would not allow them to leave their cordoned off area and kept us from leaving our corner and crosswalk too. This left a disconnect between group members who had organized this event. Protesters who planned on using the pre-made signs could not access them, and we could not rally as one crowd. We really had no idea how many people were in attendance and worried there were too few of us to make an impact.
As is standard when President Obama visits the Bay Area, he is late. TLO™ and I waited at the curb unsure where the President's motorcade was going to enter when suddenly everyone started to run to Plaza de César Chávez. My daughter, who made me pinky promise I would not walk away from her for not even one second to talk to someone, ran off without me. But there she was at the front line with the other children, raised sign, waiting for the President. I put my arm around her and nudged the man standing next to us with my sign (heh, he said something about loving oil) and squeezed in because I was not going to miss the President drive by. And he did. The moment came and ended fairly quickly as the motorcade descended into the underground garage.
As my daughter and I were talking about 'the moment,' a woman approached me from KGO Radio. She asked me why I was here, did I support the president going to Walmart tomorrow, and what what would I like to say to the president? Glen found what was left of my oratory my interview and put together this slide show with his photographs. Thank you, Glen. (It begins at the 42 second mark.)
Photos by Bijan Mottahedeh 350 Silicon Valley
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.