14 Reasons to Join Us In the Streets on June 14
(A primer for people who have never protested before and may be hesitant to show up)
1: You are upset at Trump for harming our country and the people in it.
Trump and his loony band of cartoonishly evil goons and corrupt and hateful sycophants have thrown absolutely horrible stuff at us pretty much everyday, and have by now attacked nearly everything that America stands for. And now with Trump sending National Guard and Marine troops to LA to attack innocent American citizens on the eve of forcing other National Guard and Marine troops to proclaim their devotion to their All Powerful King, Trump is literally waging war on the sovereign people of the United States. So what are you going to do? Sit home and mope and doomscroll about it? Hide under the covers and pretend it’s going to go away? It’s far better to heed the immortal words of Petula Clark, “When you’ve got worries all the noise and the hurry seems to help I know – Downtown.”
2: You will discover that you are not alone.
Everyone I know is on edge and most of us seriously need a place to vent. Millions of us will find that place on the plazas and streets of our cities or the sidewalks of our towns. Previous national marches during the last few months have been absolutely huge, and this one will almost certainly be the hugest one yet.
3: It will make you feel powerful and part of something bigger than yourself.
There is nothing like the energy and excitement of being with an enthusiastic crowd of people who all share the same passion. This isn’t like a few sad people walking around in a circle carrying signs. This is like a postseason ballgame, a major rock concert and a holiday street festival all wrapped up in one. You will see first hand just how strong the resistance is, and just how empowering and how much fun it is to be in the center of such a vibrant and significant event.
4: You will get to see some very creative and wonderful signs, costumes and puppets, chants, songs, dancing and maybe even street theater.
Some of the best tools We the People have to fight the crooks in our government are satire, mockery and ridicule, all delivered with glee. Trump is one of the easiest leaders in world history to mock, and many thousands of creative and talented people have used their time and skills to create some of the most humiliating words and images imaginable – all directed at the thin-skinned toddler king and his cult of lickspittles. I, for one, can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.
5: You can unleash your own creativity.
Do you have a special message you’d like to share with Trump or his corrupt cronies? Here’s your chance. You can find posterboard or foamboard for really cheap at Dollar Tree or just cut up a cardboard box. Get paint or markers at any office supply or crafts store. Use your imagination. Write. Draw. Paint. Go wild! Turn that inner tension and anger into something beautiful or fun or crazy or all three.
6: Or you don’t have to bring anything except yourself.
A lot of people just choose to show up. You don’t need a sign. You are enough by yourself. You can chant or sing or shout or dance along with others. Or not. If you just want to silently be there and soak in all the energy, that’s enough. You’re still a part of the collective and you’re still standing up for your country, your community and yourself.
7: You can let go of your inhibitions.
If you want to shout “Fuck Trump!” or “Fuck ICE!” at the top of your lungs, you are totally free to do that. People around you might just join in. In fact, there may already be a chant of “Fuck Trump!” going on nearby and you can just join in.
8: You might just make some new friends.
You will be surrounded by like-minded people who would be open to hearing you voice your frustrations as long as you’re open to hearing theirs, which are probably pretty similar to yours. And there won’t be any MAGA family or co-workers in sight (for all their talk about “owning the libs,” they’re really deathly afraid of us and afraid of stepping outside of their own little MAGA bubble. Plus they’ll all be watching the All Glory to Trump parade on TV).
You may even find that you’re so energized and motivated that you want to get involved with one or more of the organizations that are leading the charge to protect our democracy and the American way of life. They will all be out there.
9: Or you could bring the whole gang.
Instead of hopelessly commiserating with your friends at a coffeehouse or a bar, why not gather your pals together on a nice summer Saturday and do something truly memorable? If you’re hesitant to go to a protest by yourself, invite your spouse or a family member. Bring the whole family. There are lots of strollers and wagons including some decorated for the occasion. Wheelchairs are very welcome and pretty common too. Bring a bunch of people from your school or your church or your office or your bowling team… The more the merrier! It will be a great shared experience for all you, and who knows? It might even bring you all closer together.
10: Your presence will help ensure that we’ll all be able to keep using our voices to keep doing this sort of thing.
It’s no secret that Trump and his unholy minions are desperately trying to turn the US into a police state, and in fact he is already trying to do that in Los Angeles. But he can only do this if we are frightened, cowering and divided. We are not, and these marches and rallies are living proof of that. The Republicans have been moving super fast to throw everything in chaos and destroy all of our beloved institutions before we could get organized. But you know what? They are too late. The Resistance has been forming quickly and growing even quicker. Trump and Company are spread too thin, they have pissed off too many people and groups and they are too weak and cowardly to stand up to us. But that means we need to gather and empower all of us and destroy their hateful ideas and plans. Trump Always Chickens Out as the popular memes say, and, for all his bluster, he is deeply afraid, and is making a lot of mistakes and doing a lot of backtracking.
11: Believe it or not, these marches are scaring the hell out of the Right.
Even now, the MAGA leaders are pressuring the media to not report on the 1,600+ rallies and give all their attention to his vapid farce of a birthday parade. Some will cave, but the news loves spectacle and we’ll give them spectacle. There will be far more people attending and watching and being motivated by our events than there will be listening to his pathetic, whiny and predictable speech full of lies, grievances and hate.
12: You will get in your 10,000 steps and get some fresh air and Vitamin D.
Not only will taking to the streets reduce your stress level, lower your blood pressure and raise your spirits – it will also be physically good for your heart. You’ll get some good moderate exercise (in places where there are marches, things generally move at a reasonable and comfortable pace – almost like a stroll, and there will be lots of fun things to see and do along the way). You’ll get some good fresh air, some Vitamin D from the sun and some light cardio from all your laughter and singing and shouting.
13: You will be part of something truly newsworthy and historic.
I have alluded to this before, but this is going to be huge! Not only will this very likely be the largest coordinated series of rallies in the history of the United States and perhaps the world, but this is also a huge middle finger at Trump’s attempt to make the military kiss his ring parade, and all of this together will draw the attention of the whole big wide world. And believe me, that big wide world will be rooting for us because we represent Democracy, inclusion and everything that is good and great about our big wonderful country. I certainly wouldn’t miss it for the world, and I would think you’d want to be there as well.
14: When your children or grandchildren ask “Where were you during the Great War to Save Democracy?” you’ll have a great story to tell.
No matter what you do or don’t do on June 14th, the US is going through a cataclysmic political shift that will have a huge impact on the lives of everyone for years to come. The forces of darkness are blitzkrieging across our country, and all of us who believe in goodness and light are called upon to unite so we can stop the evil and restore our country even brighter and more welcoming than before. The first step to success is showing up. Together, we will rescue our country. And on June 14th, we’ll have a helluva lot of fun doing it!
PS: A couple of housekeeping notes for the first time protester:
These are large, mainstream, nonviolent and non-threatening protests. There will almost certainly be a smallish police presence and they are mainly there to manage traffic and to keep any counter protesters away from the main crowd. Unless you start throwing rocks at them or set cars on fire, they won’t arrest or threaten you. In fact, most of them are enjoying the light assignment and the colorful crowd and will be neutral or even friendly.
At the larger protests, you may see people wearing bright orange or yellow vests and standing or walking along the edges of the crowd. These people are working with the organizers to help keep everything running smoothly. If you have any questions about what’s going on, they are good people to ask.
I recommend that you wear loose comfortable and weather appropriate clothes, particularly comfortable shoes if a march is involved. Consider bringing sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat if it’s sunny and an umbrella or raincoat if rain is forecast. If it’s hot or a particularly long event, you might want to bring a bottle of water and maybe a light snack. Be careful of drinking too much. Your choice of bathroom might be limited to a Porta-Potty and the lines could be long. If there is a march, it will likely be just a mile or two unless they are promoting a larger march. Most likely everyone will end up pretty close to where they started.
If you’re going to a large urban protest in a downtown area, nearby parking may be difficult (or in the case of Chicago, where I’ll be, pretty much impossible). It is far preferable to take public transportation, and in fact, the bus or train ride is often a part of the fun. For huge protests like this one, your car may contain several or many other people all headed to the same place and it can sometimes have a real party atmosphere. One notice though, buses and trains might be crowded, so you may want to leave early.
So now you know it’s okay and even desirable to join the cool people who are taking to the streets. Or in the immortal words of Kathleen Hanna and Le Tigre:
“Get off the Internet!
Join Us In the Streets!
Get Off the Internet!
Destroy the Right Wing!”
John Beske is a longtime vegan/animal rights/environmental/social justice/human rights activist, advocate and community builder who will be hoisting his own Dancing Taco Man puppet at Daley Plaza in Chicago on June 14.
To find the nearest June 14th event, visit
www.nokings.org
or www.womensmarch.com
