Photo courtesy of MSNBC
First they came for Portland. After protestors turned up for more than 50 consecutive nights, President Donald Trump and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf sent unidentified federal agents, dressed in military fatigues, after them. This secret police force used tear gas and batons to violently disperse peaceful crowds, assaulting some people and snatching up others and taking them away in unmarked rental vehicles.
In response, a group called Wall of Moms, dressed in yellow and wielding sunflowers, rose up to protect the protestors. They stood between the protestors and the federal agents, linking arms to form a human shield. Thousands participated in this city of only 650,000 people, and not just moms. The wall included dads wielding leaf blowers to fend off tear gas as well as grandparents and protectors of all ages.
Now Trump has declared his intentions to send these jackbooted thugs to Democratic cities: Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, Albuquerque and more. And in cities around the country, moms and their supporters are coming together to define this new age of protest, springing up like wildflowers popping through the cracks of the sidewalk.
Wall of Moms Bay Area, along with neighboring walls based in San Francisco, Oakland, the East Bay and the South Bay, is proud to join the ranks of grassroots defenders. Calling on all genders to channel their maternal instincts and step up to save democracy, Wall of Moms Bay Area includes moms, dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and guardians of a shared future. The group vows to:
- Reject fascism, and instead choose love and connection over fear and mindless obedience.
- Reject secret federal police in U.S. cities, and instead celebrate our right to gather peacefully and protest.
- Reject authoritarian rule, and instead defend the right to live in a democracy.
While Wall of Moms Bay Area may fight for racial justice right now, the group will protest any actions that infringe upon Americans’ rights, including the very right to protest.
Oakland is on Trump’s target list, but the Oakland Police Department has already said it does not welcome Trump’s troops. Whatever happens, whenever it happens, Wall of Moms Bay Area will be ready for rapid mobilization.
Wall of Moms Bay Area will gather for their first protest, organized by nonblack POC youth, on Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 pm at Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland. The Moms hope (and expect) thousands to show up for this show of peaceful solidarity.
Remember to:
- Wear yellow (or orange)
- Bring sunflowers or yellow flowers (fake ok)
- Wear a helmet (bike or ski helmet is great)
- Bring ski goggles
- Bring a sign or megaphone
- WEAR A MASK
And be sure to visit safeprotest.tips beforehand to know how to safely counteract any aggressive force, the kind that Americans have seen unfold on their screens in the streets of Portland.
“We will be most grateful for your attendance,” says Wall of Moms Bay Area. But if you are unable to be there in person, you can help out by visiting their GoFundMe; funds will purchase reusable sunflowers, water, first aid kits, safety vests, masks and any required permit fees and fines. “Every dollar helps, so please consider donating what you might have spent on gas or tolls for each protest you are unable to attend,” say the organizers.
Please join Wall of Moms Bay Area, and follow them on:
- Facebook: Wall of Moms Bay Area*
- Twitter: @wallofmomsba
- Instagram: @wallofmomsbayarea
*Note: To ensure that posts appear in a timely fashion in Classic Facebook, click on News Feed in the left-hand column and then choose “Most Recent”; in New Facebook, look for the “Most Recent” tag in the left-hand column on the home page, and click on them.
