This week I stepped it up; I've been wanting to do more about the camps and I am in a place where I have a little more time and energy. So I attended the national Never Again phone call where they discussed goals and connected people to local actions; I went to the local training and figured out that being a marshal in the protest might work for me (this role wears a safety vest and helps keep the crowd safe and together, particularly important while marching in the streets or dealing with bystanders during a planned civil disobedience; I also had a backpack of snacks and water to hand out!). I'm in Philly and we started with a rally at the local ICE office, then marched towards the Constitution Center and Independence Hall, with the intention of getting as close to the 4th of July parade as possible. There was a separate group trained to risk arrest that was going to block the parade. The largest group got blocked by a wall of cops on the mall farther away but the protestors were able to do their action and some of us were able to go around the mall to support them. Video link below. This was A Lot, especially with also attending the debrief yesterday, but I think it's something I can do again with some recovery time. Happy to answer questions about what it's like to participate in a protest. Also know: I was happy they emphasized that all contributions are important, including supporting people participating in such things at home-- someone thanked a friend at the debrief who did her dishes and some errands that she couldn't get done while putting together a protest in like 48 hours. My family gave me rides and helped make sure I was fed and hydrated. Other people brought water so we had a lot to distribute. So if marching or being in an environment with crowds and yelling isn't something you can do, or if you cannot risk arrest for any reason, your work is important too.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2019-07-07 02:03 pm (UTC)https://www.facebook.com/NeverAgainAction/videos/935520516790955/?__xts__[0]=68.ARC6MQty_BMw5aT-l-mmNDPb7smiv28t1zfEQlwkr2OM5aMqc-C0-J4nTWkp9W9R5SKK_xlGAsTN6fxSZktbVjB8H7uCLN0Q3zeWZnvQnAYKHyYzkX_1ZQrkJkJAWoZXhcjOFo66VsKQE-YKnZUlw9hfkPY6_yPLBNV1golwhMbTGph6cgQDXWprNLC6v2bFIRDd_-2UnrxRyUDLmRtSNAHR_3JfryM_YPhIQAphcXI7W0S3LUNbeCukYJ1cZPYn-AOt83b7YHSNS4e93a7jwezs7hm8K2DviFsQ_twacl5tsy7F8SEEr685tA-2Tw0mtPYBjRkKINxZTn4yLvZpHVZFKwwiY_QoZf8&__tn__=-R