"Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world."
-- Dolores Huerta
 |
Austin, Texas -- photo by Liliana Valenzuela
|
A day after Donald Trump was inaugurated, millions of people took to the streets to march in peaceful protests in the United States and abroad (London, Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney, Melbourne, etc.). An estimated 900,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. for this march. One of the attendees and speakers was America Ferrera who said the following: "It's been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country -- a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America. We march today for the moral core of this nation against which our new president is waging war. He would like us to forget the words, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free' and instead take up a credo of hate, fear, and suspicion of one another. But we are gathered here and across the country and around the world to say, 'Mr. Trump, we refuse. We reject the demonization of our Muslim brothers and sisters. We demand an end to the systemic murder and incarceration of our black brothers and sisters. We will not give up our right to safe and legal abortions. We will not ask our LGBTQ families to go backwards. We will not go from being a nation of immigrants to a nation of ignorance.'"
In Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska (combined), the estimated count was over 15,000 marchers (the assessments range, according to police reports, between 2 and 3,000 in Lincoln, and 12 to 14,000 in Omaha. But volunteers estimate even more). We gathered at The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and marched to the Capitol. We chanted, walked together in solidarity, listened to various speakers. I kept hearing people say how uplifting, and hopeful it was to see so many people, that they were committed not just to march today-- but to be active in this struggle in the days, months, and years to come. ¡Si Se Puede!
The following photo essay documents the marches in Lincoln, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Santa Barbara, California; New York, New York; Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; Austin, Texas. Many thanks to friends, colleagues, and my La Bloga compañeras/compañeros for their photos: Xánath Caraza, Alice Kang; Rhonda Garelick, Lydia Gil, Kendall Hunter, Melinda Palacio, Michael Sedano, and Liliana Valenzuela
FROM LINCOLN, NEBRASKA:
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska Capitol Mall -- Photo by Alice Kang |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Lincoln, Nebraska |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska -- photo by Amelia Montes |
FROM DENVER, COLORADO:
Thank you to Kendall Hunter for this photo--
 |
| Denver, Colorado-- photo by Kendall Hunter |
Denver is also home to Lydia Gil, one of our La Bloga contributors. Lydia sent on a number of photos she took as she marched toward the Capitol:
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado-- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
 |
| Denver, Colorado -- photo by Lydia Gil |
FROM SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA:
La Bloga contributor and writer, Melinda Palacio sent on these photos. In this first photo (below), Melinda is marching and holding the "Poetic Justice" sign. And in the next picture, she is reading poetry to the crowd. Gracias, Melinda!
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- Photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio
|
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
 |
| Santa Barbara, California -- photo by Melinda Palacio |
IN NEW YORK CITY, my colleague, Rhonda Garelick took the photos below. Thank you, Rhonda!
 |
| New York, New York -- photo by Rhonda Garelick |
 |
| New York, New York -- photo by Rhonda Garelick |
FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA--
La Bloga co-founder and writer, Michael Sedano took these great photos (below). He wrote: "A tough photo assignment-- so crowded, there is very limited perspective other than to hold the lens above my head and hope the framing is straight. The march moves up Broadway while another group marches up the 4th street incline."
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Loa Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
 |
| Los Angeles, California -- photo by Michael Sedano |
FROM KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI -- Thank you to La Bloga writer and poet, Xánath Caraza who took these fabulous photos (below) of the crowds--
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
 |
Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
|
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
 |
| Kansas City, Missouri -- photo by Xánath Caraza |
FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS: Gracias to writer and translator, Liliana Valenzuela, who took these photos (and the one that began this blog) of a crowded and colorful demonstration!
 |
| Austin, Texas -- photo by Liliana Valenzuela |
 |
| Austin, Texas -- photo by Liliana Valenzuela |
"The great social changes in the country have happened when people came together, organized, and took direct action. It is this right that sustains and nurtures our democracy today. The civil rights movement, the labor movement, the women's movement, and the equality movement for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters are all manifestations of these rights." --Dolores Huerta
What a treat to see Melinda Palacio on the podium, reading a poem. Poetry is power!
ReplyDeleteCaptured the spirit of the day--and what a day it was!
ReplyDelete