We had just over 300 people in Lowell, MI. Lowell is anything but a blue town, pop 6300. Grand Rapids had thousands, just 18 miles away. Holland MI had great turn out as well.
It was great to be amongst others with similar views here in an area which has traditionally been quite red.
Lowell! That's fantastic! I love Michigan and spend as much time as I can on the beach. (For over a decade I lived in Chicago, and MI was my weekend getaway. It still is my favorite destination, but with a much longer drive time.)
I'm so glad to hear this. It's more than inspiring. It's motivating. Galvanizing. Let's build on it!
Wildly, I'm not sure I'm quite up for calling the people "who represent us" - But I'm absolutely going to keep hitting the rallies in CoMo, assuming I'm not running fertilizer to a farmer's field out here in NEMO.
Moberly had, if I remember, some thing amount - 70, I seem to recall. And it's ... well... You know.
But to hear that Moberly had one at all was the most uplifting thing I've heard in ages.
This protest got me joining Swing Blue, North East and North West MO Democratic clubs, and hoping Iight be able to round up the remnants of the Monroe County Democrats, soy little town of 1200- can start putting it out there, too.
Might even get the gumption to put the MCD back together, if I find they've been dissolved; Almost everyone I talk to out here has some reason to resent this regime, and I suspect they're getting fed up with Business As Usual in Jeff, as well.
Yesss! So glad to hear it was your first protest – and I hope it's not your last. Yes, that Moberly had a protest AT ALL is a huge win. And with every local protest like that, we get our message out to more people. One spark lights another, lights another, lights another...
Thank you for getting out there and using your voice, and for sharing it here. 💙
5.5 million hearts across America--and that's just the ones with boots on the ground. Thanks so much for the evidence and some pointers for going forward. We are with this all the way. And, love me some 8 year old badas* girl!
I've been thinking of you – I'm sure that things are heavy in MN right now. Just awful – hard to put into words, actually, and that says a lot. I'm sorry. 💙
It’s extra heartening and inspiring to see these reports of strong turnout in areas where there can be a real social cost to openly declaring opposition to the GOP in general and Trump in particular. True patriots!
Thank you for this. I agree, things are happening. When I looked at the map of Texas, I did a double-take like a Looney Tunes cartoon character. Protests in Odessa, Palestine, San Angelo, Longview, Texas are incredibly significant. These places are so Republican, they'd probably shun Richard Nixon as a bleeding heart liberal.
Many were impressed with the numbers in Dallas, Austin and Houston - which is fantastic of course. But those areas are solid Blue and have been for a very long time. Therefore, these numbers are not unexpected. I wish I knew the numbers in these Republican small towns which had protests. As we celebrate No Kings Day, I would like to see Democrats capitalizing on Republican angst. It is there.
That part! It’s often hard when folks are from other states and don’t have context. I’m trying to make it clear for some of these places - but so glad you listed off some of the towns that made you look twice. Good news!
I'm in a barely red rural county in Colorado (Grand) and we had not one, but two protests in two different towns! We had about 350 people in Granby, CO, population 2256. If we count Granby plus the nearest 4 towns it's still only a population of 5928!
Thanks for sharing this post and the threads Michele, we could use a little uplifting reading after a heavy hearted weekend in my state!
Melissa was an amazing, thoughtful and loving person, an exceptional representative of our community and state! I’m certainly grateful to have met and enjoyed her insights and inspiring emails she cannot be replaced!
There’s much work that needs to be done to save this republic from the odious emperor wannabe, and the transnational criminal syndicate posing as our democracy. Sla’inte!!
We held a rally in Malmo, Sweden! Around 70-80 people listening to speech and music. We all felt so connected and united in our support for you! A wonderful atmosphere of togetherness ❣️
I have a friend in Vegas who is a thorn in the side of pretty much every politician who wants to accrue power to themselves. Which means, right now, the Democrats hate her. And punished her pretty badly a few years ago when she was sponsoring a ballot initiative for a balanced redistricting commission. I asked her how she keeps getting back up and fighting. She told me that women's suffrage activists fought for at least a century and a half (from Abigail Adams to Jane Addams) before they got the vote. And that she saw herself as an important fighter for democracy - even if she never lives to see it achieved. You can't end a road where you start it. And there are a lot of bricks that are laid before the road ends.
I’m in a blue state but in a red county, the town I live in is purple. Our Indivisible group had 44-45 people, we are referred to as the blue dot in our county, I’ll it
We had 743 in Farmington, MN. While MN is considered a blue state, our “outstate” population (that’s outside the Twin Cities metro area) has ruby red regions. This is one of them.
You're right that things are starting to change. I was shocked (and delighted) at the first protest in April to see that we had more than 2,000 people in Saint Cloud, MN, deep in Trump country. Our district is represented in Congress by Tom Emmer and before that by Michelle Bachmann.
But I'm not sure that we are organized enough to resist the rapid shift toward fascism and authoritarianism coming from the other direction and supported by all the force of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world.
We had just over 300 people in Lowell, MI. Lowell is anything but a blue town, pop 6300. Grand Rapids had thousands, just 18 miles away. Holland MI had great turn out as well.
It was great to be amongst others with similar views here in an area which has traditionally been quite red.
Lowell! That's fantastic! I love Michigan and spend as much time as I can on the beach. (For over a decade I lived in Chicago, and MI was my weekend getaway. It still is my favorite destination, but with a much longer drive time.)
I'm so glad to hear this. It's more than inspiring. It's motivating. Galvanizing. Let's build on it!
This was my first protest.
Wildly, I'm not sure I'm quite up for calling the people "who represent us" - But I'm absolutely going to keep hitting the rallies in CoMo, assuming I'm not running fertilizer to a farmer's field out here in NEMO.
Moberly had, if I remember, some thing amount - 70, I seem to recall. And it's ... well... You know.
But to hear that Moberly had one at all was the most uplifting thing I've heard in ages.
This protest got me joining Swing Blue, North East and North West MO Democratic clubs, and hoping Iight be able to round up the remnants of the Monroe County Democrats, soy little town of 1200- can start putting it out there, too.
Might even get the gumption to put the MCD back together, if I find they've been dissolved; Almost everyone I talk to out here has some reason to resent this regime, and I suspect they're getting fed up with Business As Usual in Jeff, as well.
Yesss! So glad to hear it was your first protest – and I hope it's not your last. Yes, that Moberly had a protest AT ALL is a huge win. And with every local protest like that, we get our message out to more people. One spark lights another, lights another, lights another...
Thank you for getting out there and using your voice, and for sharing it here. 💙
5.5 million hearts across America--and that's just the ones with boots on the ground. Thanks so much for the evidence and some pointers for going forward. We are with this all the way. And, love me some 8 year old badas* girl!
Mark my words, this girl is going to be president. I said it first. 💙
So much discouraging news, so good to hear about all the smaller gatherings arising. We were at such a rally ourselves Saturday. Thanks!
I've been thinking of you – I'm sure that things are heavy in MN right now. Just awful – hard to put into words, actually, and that says a lot. I'm sorry. 💙
Thank you so much for this note. It is heavy indeed, and people here are reaching deep and reaching out. Human touch matters now.
It’s extra heartening and inspiring to see these reports of strong turnout in areas where there can be a real social cost to openly declaring opposition to the GOP in general and Trump in particular. True patriots!
Thank you for this. I agree, things are happening. When I looked at the map of Texas, I did a double-take like a Looney Tunes cartoon character. Protests in Odessa, Palestine, San Angelo, Longview, Texas are incredibly significant. These places are so Republican, they'd probably shun Richard Nixon as a bleeding heart liberal.
Many were impressed with the numbers in Dallas, Austin and Houston - which is fantastic of course. But those areas are solid Blue and have been for a very long time. Therefore, these numbers are not unexpected. I wish I knew the numbers in these Republican small towns which had protests. As we celebrate No Kings Day, I would like to see Democrats capitalizing on Republican angst. It is there.
That part! It’s often hard when folks are from other states and don’t have context. I’m trying to make it clear for some of these places - but so glad you listed off some of the towns that made you look twice. Good news!
I'm in a barely red rural county in Colorado (Grand) and we had not one, but two protests in two different towns! We had about 350 people in Granby, CO, population 2256. If we count Granby plus the nearest 4 towns it's still only a population of 5928!
Yesssss! 💙
I'm a utah blue dot.
So nice to meet you! 💙
Thanks for sharing this post and the threads Michele, we could use a little uplifting reading after a heavy hearted weekend in my state!
Melissa was an amazing, thoughtful and loving person, an exceptional representative of our community and state! I’m certainly grateful to have met and enjoyed her insights and inspiring emails she cannot be replaced!
There’s much work that needs to be done to save this republic from the odious emperor wannabe, and the transnational criminal syndicate posing as our democracy. Sla’inte!!
We held a rally in Malmo, Sweden! Around 70-80 people listening to speech and music. We all felt so connected and united in our support for you! A wonderful atmosphere of togetherness ❣️
Oh I love this so much – the thought of folks around the world coming together like this brings such light and hope. 💙✨
Excellent Michele!
Yes, she IS💙💜🔥
I have a friend in Vegas who is a thorn in the side of pretty much every politician who wants to accrue power to themselves. Which means, right now, the Democrats hate her. And punished her pretty badly a few years ago when she was sponsoring a ballot initiative for a balanced redistricting commission. I asked her how she keeps getting back up and fighting. She told me that women's suffrage activists fought for at least a century and a half (from Abigail Adams to Jane Addams) before they got the vote. And that she saw herself as an important fighter for democracy - even if she never lives to see it achieved. You can't end a road where you start it. And there are a lot of bricks that are laid before the road ends.
I’m in a blue state but in a red county, the town I live in is purple. Our Indivisible group had 44-45 people, we are referred to as the blue dot in our county, I’ll it
We had 743 in Farmington, MN. While MN is considered a blue state, our “outstate” population (that’s outside the Twin Cities metro area) has ruby red regions. This is one of them.
That's amazing – wonderful! 💙💙
You're right that things are starting to change. I was shocked (and delighted) at the first protest in April to see that we had more than 2,000 people in Saint Cloud, MN, deep in Trump country. Our district is represented in Congress by Tom Emmer and before that by Michelle Bachmann.
But I'm not sure that we are organized enough to resist the rapid shift toward fascism and authoritarianism coming from the other direction and supported by all the force of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world.
We can only do what we can do – and the more of us that join together, the better our chances become. Thank you for showing up and spreading light! 💙