Pennsylvania dispatch: ‘No Kings Day’ in Philadelphia felt like a parade

On Saturday I joined the No Kings Day protest in Ardmore, an prosperous suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I used to be scared, however I needed to go.

“Motion binds nervousness,” is a maxim in my daytime work.  The present political atmosphere creates an ambient worry, like laptop malware jamming wi-fi and losing battery.  I wanted to get out and act.

Protesting was additionally scary, with the present state of affairs in Los Angeles and ongoing threats from the department of presidency vested with executing the regulation.  I used to be solely going to train, and thereby hold sturdy and limber, my rights below the First Modification.  This is able to be topic to the moods of the individuals elected to serve me in authorities, although.

What I noticed 

No Kings Day referred to as the Ardmore occasion a “visibility” occasion.  We had no audio system or central location.  As an alternative, we unfold out alongside each side of a two-block business stretch of US Route 30.  No one blocked site visitors, the sidewalk, or driveways.  I walked the entire line.

There have been indicators, however they had been all family-safe.  The identical was true for the occasional chants.  I carried an Previous El Paso taco field.  It was simple to know and humorous and I might drop it if I needed to.  I by no means got here shut.  A salesman on the Acura supplier supplied me a reduction on a brand new automotive if I introduced the field.

I noticed the American flag, used as a logo of protest, a logo of affection for the Structure and the beliefs of America.  I noticed neighbors speaking with neighbors and laughing and cheering.  I heard no anger and by no means felt scared.

Like a parade

The ambiance was like a vacation parade.  A lot of the passing drivers and passengers waved and honked, and no one argued with those that didn’t.  I noticed a number of scattered particular person counter-protestors however no one confirmed up in fight gear.  The entire many police seemed bored.

Our official finish time was 11:00 AM.  No one chased us off.  No one needed to.  At 11:03 or so, the protest ended and other people began to depart.

America will not be an oligarchy, not if we don’t enable that.  I’m an American citizen, the equal to any elected official and maybe a bit greater than any lawmaker who can not learn a regulation, as I can.  This nation, at the least in our enduring ideally suited, belongs to me simply as a lot as any billionaire.

Opinions expressed in JURIST Dispatches are solely these of our correspondents within the discipline and don’t essentially mirror the views of JURIST’s editors, employees, donors or the College of Pittsburgh.