A picture of an alternate timeline
Especially since the crowd spilled back at least as far as the Museum of Natural History, my godchild and I got much closer than we had expected to the head of the Mall surrounded by signs themed from penguins to the Constitution, accompanied by intermittently organized political chants and a noise which turned out to be one dude processing through the crowd playing the Wii home theme on a shofar, which is honestly the kind of weirdness I want at my protests, along with the vocal defense of trans rights and science. ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
selkie witnessed a bagpiper in parade dress blasting the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." We were near a marble bench when my godchild needed to sit down, after which he acted as a sort of gateman helping protesters and their signs and their backpacks over or under the thigh-high chain of the fencing. We saw a lot of veterans, a lot of people who looked as though they had protested on this same mall in the 1960's. A lot of kids. A lot of rainbow flags. We had no signs, but our queer/trans/disabled selves. We were tired and counted.
selkie witnessed a bagpiper in parade dress blasting the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." We were near a marble bench when my godchild needed to sit down, after which he acted as a sort of gateman helping protesters and their signs and their backpacks over or under the thigh-high chain of the fencing. We saw a lot of veterans, a lot of people who looked as though they had protested on this same mall in the 1960's. A lot of kids. A lot of rainbow flags. We had no signs, but our queer/trans/disabled selves. We were tired and counted.
Re: That's a hell of a trip!
You're welcome! I should be clear that I am not yet back: I am still in the D.C. metro area. We had planned originally to visit the Smithsonian this afternoon, but the weather and people's bodies did not accommodate. It's been a quiet afternoon instead which after a protest is just fine.
Our march was more young than old, but old were well-represented.
I am glad to hear it.
I was indeed on the mall in 1969 for the Moratorium anti-Vietnam–war rally, though I can't remember whether it was October or November.
And this I am not surprised to hear.
*hugs*