NO KINGS 10/18: We are Strong and Growing!
By Christine Mrak
A whopping 85,000+ Seattleites braved the threatened rain to contribute to the largest national protest demonstration in US history–7 million strong! Even our weather blessed the event by delaying the deluge until the march had concluded.
Along with many other West Seattleites I boarded the 11:00 Water Taxi and walked from the ferry terminal to Seattle Center. We arrived as the protest music gave way to themed speeches that outlined many of the varied causes that brought us to this protest and urged us to recognize that we have the power to bring about change.
Emcee’d by One America __(title?)_____ Soumyo Lahiri-Gupta, the rally began with a speech by Muckleshoot Tribal _(title)_____, __(name)______ who recounted the 19th Century fight by local tribes against the US Government and militias. His speech was followed by songs and drumming by tribal members.
King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay recounted his life story as an immigrant from Sudan whose success was made possible by various government support programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and Pell Grants. Those forms of assistance are now being gutted by the Trump administration.
Jaylen Scott, a prominent activist in the religious community defending the civil rights of LGBTQ and racial minorities, noted that attacks on LGBTQ people are common to authoritarian regimes. But despite a long history of repression, “We are still here. We have always been here.”
Tariq Ra’ouf, a Palestinian-American writer/activist, urged support for the release of a Palestinian-American teen currently held in tortuous detention in the West Bank by the IDF. Ra’ouf criticized legislators who accept AIPAC money and allocate our tax dollars to pay for Israeli weapons used in genocide–as well as benefits for Israeli citizens that are not available to Americans.
President of SEIU Local 6 Zenia Javalera represents “essential workers” such as janitors, security workers, airport workers, etc., many of whom are immigrants. She connected the dots between Trump’s oppression of immigrants and suppression of labor rights, noting that the Tacoma Detention Center is full of workers. She urged us to support worker organizations.
7th Congressional District Representative Pramila Jayapal concluded the speeches by reminding us of Ben Franklin’s admonition that we have “a republic, if you can keep it”. She assured the crowd: “We are powerful. We are growing. We are the people who can save our democracy.” She urged us to “inspire one another to make real our humanity”. She encouraged people to sign up for a Resistance Lab to learn how repressive regimes are defeated and to “create ripple effects of noncompliance”.
Following the speeches we marched from Seattle Center down 5th Ave. to the Pike Place Market area. Creativity was on display with flags, costumes and signs. Some memorable examples are “Love Not Hate–Don’t Take the Bait” or “No Faux King Way” or “Peaceful, Patriotic and Pissed Off” or “Aunt Tifa” or “Auntie Fa”. Signs with a QR code offered a range of next step options for individuals. WSI carried its logo banner and several members held “No Crown” signs.
From my observations, this event included a more representative generational balance than may have been the case in many events leading up to 10/18 No Kings. While Republicans are dismissive of older activists, we’ve been “round this barn” before, as we came of age in the cauldron of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the ‘60s. I remember, when demonstrating in my youth, the feeling that we were having to make it up as we went along, without much in the way of role models in our parents’ generation. I recall the tremendous gratitude I felt at age 19 for the few older people who joined our demonstrations, because they gave us some generational validation. I am now happy to be that validation for the current young folks.
Marching through downtown, I thought of how protected I felt in progressive Seattle relative to those participating in No Kings events in right-wing jurisdictions elsewhere. In too many states, hostile governors deliberately mischaracterize these protests and illegitimately threaten mobilization of the military against protesting citizens. I silently thanked our protesting compatriots in red states for their courage.
