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The One Protester. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-18
Last Sunday I posted a story about my plans to take part in the nationwide protests scheduled for President's Day on Monday. As I write this it's 2:30 Monday afternoon. I've been back home for almost an hour.
I'd speculated on Sunday that I could end up being the only one holding a sign, standing in front of the Cottonwood city hall.
I was.
All I carried with me. Drivers license, $20, my fabulous cane, and hag stone & black salt protective amulets. And of course, my sign.
When I arrived around 11:30 there was plenty of public parking available nearby. I stationed myself next to a lamp post (which I leaned on much of the time), held up my sign, and stood there looking out at the cars and pedestrians moving through Old Town. As it got closer to lunchtime (Old Town Cottonwood is home to a lot of popular taverns and restaurants) the traffic increased.
By noon I realized that nobody else was going to show up. Maybe they all headed up to Flagstaff or south to Phoenix.
It was interesting to see the expressions of people who were slowing down to look at my sign. Many seemed neutral; even those who were obvious Trump supporters. Some honked and gave me the thumbs-up. Several people walking by on the sidewalk stopped to tell me they agreed, and thanked me for being there. A young man with a bandaged face urged me to "keep getting the message out!" Many more smiled and nodded as they drove past.
I had three hecklers; two men who jeered (one called me a dumbass), and one woman who stared, slowed down in traffic, then screeched about how "Musk is doing a great job, bitch!" before hitting the gas.
A list of suggested protests I found on Bluesky.
Up to that point I'd had mostly positive interactions with people who didn't shout. At around 12:50 the angry woman drove past again, not yelling but flipping the bird. (She was the only one I saw flipping me off). She was glaring at me kinda bug-eyed. Like a cartoon. It was actually hard not to laugh, she was just so goofy looking. It's possible that she might have come back yet again, hoping to get a reaction or something; a few minutes later I felt that unmistakable nudge telling me that now would be a good time to leave. It was just about 1:00; I'd been there a little over an hour and a half. (Also, my leg was hurting).
So I left. I'd done what I came there to do, to stand with my sign and just be there. Letting myself be seen. I smiled often, turned away and ignored a few times. I've done a number of protests in my life; I think it's more fun in a group. This new experience of doing it alone was certainly interesting. Maybe I'll do it again sometime.
I was there. I was seen. For today, it is enough.
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Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.
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