A major function of our Indivisible events is to bond our communities. In other words, simply to have fun together.
Maybe to some activists, the fun is only a sidenote to their serious business. However, it’s easy to argue that pleasantries and social bonds are practical necessities for sustaining our momentum. Our outrage and anger about what’s wrong with our nation must be balanced with the full spirit of celebration for winning the smallest battles on the way to eventual victory. The alternative is (likely) to burn out. And that’s not us.
So for this week’s editorial roundtable, Indivisibles share positive stories from the experience of the third No Kings event last weekend to spread the good vibes.
Peter Bergel
Salem Regional Indivisible, Indivisible One Million Rising, The PeaceWorker (Founder/Editor) / Salem
I was serving on the Peace Team in Salem. There was so little need for our services as de-escalators that we wound up serving as ambassadors on behalf of Salem Region Indivisible. We thanked people for coming, joked with them, admired their signs and bid them farewell as they left. In return, we were constantly thanked for being there and for all the work everyone else did. It was a great place to be!
Susan Williams
Dunes City Indivisible / COIN Leadership Team
Rock and Coal-Roll
or
I Went to Florence on the Trump Train and All l Got Was This Crummy CitationBy far, my favorite personal story of our No Kings 3 protest starts with the written copy of a “super-secret underground MAGA communication” or whatever it was, about the Trump train that was going to roll out of Coos Bay and up the coast to interfere with our little town of Florence’s rally. Say what you will about small-town USA, but one of the greatest things we have going for us is that we talk to each other and many of us know the police chief by first name.
On the big day, I was pleasantly surprised to see what I’m guessing is four times the number of people we have seen at past rallies, all decked out with spanking new signs, costumes, people young, and old, and most importantly, all with joyful and exuberant attitudes.
The vehicle traffic that day also exceeded anything I’ve seen on US 101 in the five years I’ve lived here. I was standing next to a very socially active resident who has lived here for over 30 years, and he concurred that it was unprecedented. The majority of this traffic was honking and waving and joining in the fun. I also noted that there were more police vehicles than I even knew existed in this town quietly sitting on the sidelines or circling around within the traffic, I imagine, just to let us know they were all there.
I specifically mention the vehicle traffic as when the nay-sayers started rolling into town, the “train” was broken up. Here they were, wedged in between people with the audacity of honking and waving rather than throwing slurs and single finger salutes. With this slow rolling traffic pace, at times, vehicles would be stopped in front of participants like me. One vehicle rolled down their window and started to yell at us with an admittedly poor-quality megaphone. My friend, and fellow rabble rouser, Marchel, and I looked at each other and went for our shiny new stainless-steel whistles. We hadn’t tried them out, but dang, they were loud. So, we were able to peacefully overcome whatever this person was trying to yell. And feel a little love from our fellow protestors.
There were a few in the parade of vehicles, however, who’s temper got the best of them. We were standing next to the wide driveway into Safeway and one large diesel truck pulled in, paused, and unloaded what I now know is a “Coal Roll” and took off. Unbeknownst to the perp, there was a police car very nearby that took off after him. It was all very exciting and resulted in loud cheering and clapping from the crowd. And he wasn’t the only dimwit to try this. I counted three such interactions on our end of the 101 and a friend on the other end counted four. Now this all compared to the fact that I’ve only seen the police stop a total of two people in my years of residence here.
So that’s my story. And here’s a little parting fun fact. It is actually illegal to modify a vehicle such that it can emit noxious, black smoke, both on a federal level as well as on a state level in Oregon. So don’t do it.
I can’t WAIT to do this all again.
Justin Lloyd Ludwig
Florence Indivisible, City Club of Florence, Florence Young Professionals, Florence ORganizes / Florence
The sense of community I found during our local No Kings Day 3 event really lifted my spirits more than anything else in recent weeks, and I believe I saw the same among people who attended.
Some of my friends who’ve been too busy for social events during the last few months were able to show up for this. Many others who were in the crowd were wearing vibrant costumes to show resilience in these challenging times: chipmunks, pink axolotls, unicorns, and yes, frogs!
I was surprised to learn one of our senior community members had a mild stroke a few days prior to the event, but she was still determined to attend with assistance from her son. I told her how happy I was to see her, and she said that she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else that day. You could see it on her face, it showed! Even through her personal struggles, she wasn’t disheartened in the slightest.
We all have our own private battles, as well as our shared struggle for the better world we’re working toward through local and national actions like No Kings Day. Being in community with each other, and uplifting each other’s spirits through these times has never felt more important, or more joyful!
In times such as these, it’s so wonderful to have a day where everyone to come together in common cause and remember what we do have to be grateful for: each other.
Justin Lloyd LudwigJenny Pompilio, MD, MPH
Indivisible Cedar Mill / Portland
My 20-year-old son took a Post War Germany Fascism class this past term at UO. When he got home for spring break ten days ago, I nonchalantly asked if he would go to the PDX No Kings protest with me. He said he might. I asked a few days before the Protest, he said he probably would. The night before, he said he was seriously thinking about it… The morning of, I went in to wake him up at 10 a.m. (he’s 20—he sleeps past noon most weekends!) and he rolled over in bed muttering how he might not want to go, he’d rather sleep in. I leaned over and said that it was okay, I couldn’t make him, but I really wanted him to go and that I needed a rally buddy for safety (he’s 6’2” and rather intimidating looking). To my surprise, 30 minutes later he was up and out, ready to go!
We went down to the South Park Blocks, parked, got a coffee at a nearby café then walked through Old Town to the Waterfront. He started warming up to the event when he saw all the rambunctious energy, inflatables, cheeky signs and general good will. The beautiful day and the cherry blossoms didn’t hurt. But I think he really converted when we were making our way down the crowded riverfront path and all of a sudden, a PDX Llama (a real one, not an inflatable!) literally walked right into him. It was so calm and cute amid all the chaos. My son loved it! I was so happy he got to see people practicing our rights to gather in public spaces and peacefully protest. And if he decided it was important enough to go, I have hope that more of his peers will get involved too.
Terrie Martin
Oregon District 2 Indivisible / Medford
We had a great turnout in Medford, and I’m sure there were 10,000 stories on that sidewalk, but the one I am sharing is about a woman who was sitting in a lawn chair in the parking lot nearby.
Carol Doty is 87 now, and was the first progressive Jackson County Commissioner in the 1980s. She got recalled — during the spotted owl conflict — for standing up for land use planning and the environment. She didn’t make it to our last No Kings because she doesn’t drive anymore and it was too far to walk. I found out too late, so this year I contacted her a week ahead to see if she needed a ride. She did. And it took a bit of scrambling, but she ended up being picked up by Peter Sage, also a former county commissioner, who I didn’t realize took her place after she was recalled.
She didn’t want to try and navigate the landscaping between the lot and the sidewalk, so she ended up a few feet behind the crowd with her sign, which said, simply, “No Kings In America.”
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