By Gen Heywood | FāVS News Photographer
About 50 people gathered Friday at the corner of Trent and Hamilton for the Freedom Friday: No War on Iran Rally, drawing participants ranging from middle schoolers to retirees in a peaceful demonstration against potential military action.
When asked about how the rally developed, Organizer Petra Hoy said the group originally planned to focus on the theme “Hands off the Justice System.” But after recent bombing in Iran, organizers switched to “No War on Iran.”
“Considering what happened with the Supreme Court today, I think that was a good decision, too,” Hoy said.
The group plans another rally July 11 with the theme “Money for People Not for War” and will collect goods for Spectrum’s food pantry, she said.
The rally also provided an opportunity for participants to network about ongoing resistance efforts. James Sutherland, a member of a local Visibility Brigade chapter, said his group has spent five weeks standing on overpasses and footbridges with large banners and placards.
“We want to communicate with folks during the rush hour commute when people have a moment to look up and read our messages,” Sutherland said.
The group’s next demonstration is scheduled for July 3 with the theme “Resistance is Patriotic,” he said. More information is available at sp***************@***il.com.
Sutherland said that the group has four locations with a total of 40-70 people out on the various over passes. The themes for July 3 were chosen to coincide with the holiday. Sutherland’s plan is to create a banner that says “Fighting Dictators since 1776.”
The National Nurses United is sponsoring Shari Mcevoy to gather a group of people to tell their personal stories with Medicare at Rep. Michael Baumgartner’s office next week. Mcevoy will get his answer on the record for “Fund healthcare or fund billionaires, what’s your choice?”
Dennis Mitchell said the rally represented an opportunity to take a stand against policies he opposes.
“I come from the 70s era where you make love not war,” Mitchell said.
He described seeing current events through the lens of his life experiences and said divisive rhetoric has been building for years.
“In the beginning, when I first heard him saying we’re gonna make America great again, I read right through that, and I knew what he was saying: We’re gonna make America white again,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell, who said he’s from the South, called the former president “the unofficial head of the KKK because those are the values and beliefs that he is exhibiting.”
When asked what message he wanted to share, Mitchell quoted a familiar saying: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
“We have to make a stand even when it’s uncomfortable, or especially when it’s uncomfortable, because this is not just about us,” he said. “We’ve got to look at the following generations — our kids and our grandkids and our great-grandkids.”
The next Freedom Friday rally, “Money for People Not for War,” is scheduled for 4:30-5:30 p.m. July 11 at 602 N. Hamilton.
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