No Kings 2.0 Recap

Hooray to the Saline community for taking part in a truly historic day!! We had a great crowd of peaceful friends and future friends! While we all know our work is not done, we need to acknowledge that yesterday felt great.

Togetherness is healing. And, Omg, I saw so many people laughing and truly enjoying themselves. I am so grateful for this community and its dedication to continuing the fight to save democracy.

A special thanks to the talented photographers who uploaded images to our Facebook Group! An extra special thanks to Amanda Mae Photography for sharing her great work. I encourage folks to head to Amanda's photo gallery (you only need to provide your email address- to keep out bots) and browse. Seek out the Congresswoman Debbie Dingell 'ball' photo- you will know it when you see it :) Scroll to the bottom of this page to check out some of my fav images!

The great turnout that we experienced yesterday was a common theme across the State and the country. Sky Indivisible (part of Saline Indivisible) provided air support over the Detroit event at Roosevelt Park. (If you see any good pictures of the banner floating around, please contact us.)

After the event, a local shop owner went out of their way to thank us for the event. They apparently had a very successful day- a lovely side effect, no?

Our roving reporter

In a Saline Indivisible first, Dennis, a recent Saline Indivisible volunteer, met many protestors yesterday and asked them a simple question. “Why did you come out this morning?”

Dennis: "Wow. Great turnout. Perfect day. So many vibrant, positive people freely exercising their first amendment rights as free citizens of a democratic country. And they had a lot to say!"

Dennis: "Why did you come out this morning?"

Arleta (Saline): “It is very important to exercise our First Amendment rights to peacefully protest when we see things that are wrong.”

Delores (Ann Arbor): “I think very bad things are happening in the country and we need to resist.”

Kim (New Jersey): “I came to see my new grandbaby and to go to the Michigan game a but I decided it was more important be here to tell people we do not have kings or tyrants in America and this matters to my children.”

Paul (Saline): “Want to show the world that we are not hateful people.”

Marie (Saline): “We got too complacent so I guess it’s time to do it again like we did in the 60s.”

Jamie (Saline): “Because I have two kids and this is not the country I want for them.”

Katie (Milan): “I am pregnant with my fourth daughter and I want to help ensure the rights of women and the future for our country.”

Michael (Saline): “I’m an economist. Tariffs are a tax on people….and are detrimental to ourselves, our allies and our trading partners.”

Dennis captured many more messages. Our thanks to him for providing actual reporting and gathering some unique insights. Thanks Dennis!! Oh, and thanks to all the folks that provided answers.

Feedback left on Mobilize

Finally, we want to share some of the 192 (!!!!) pieces of feedback (100% Positive, wow. Thanks everyone!) that were left on Mobilize:

We were able to make signs at the table, get buttons, and the protest was great!

It was fun and way more people were there than I expected.

People were respectful and friendly. It was a beautiful day for an unfortunate circumstance, but it gives me hope for our rights and democracy!

Great and joyful turnout with much laughter and a surprise visit from Debbie Dingell. We have to save our country and this messy, ongoing experiment we call democracy. Thank you for a well organized protest!

This is the 4th event i've attended ,and each time i felt it was more important than ever to make a stand for democracy . when history records this time, i want to be able to say i was not silent, i did my part .

I was encouraged in my beliefs when I witnessed the number of people in attendance; their good humor (fun signs and costumes) and responsible behavior. I also enjoyed the people in cars giving us a thumbs up and honking their horns. It was a great experience!

This is only a smattering of the 192 positive messages. As you all are aware, it is a lot of work to put together these events, and reading your notes really helps us recharge.

The protests play an important role but are only part of the strategy. If you have attended a protest, the next step is to attend a meeting or coffee hour.

Our thanks to everyone who participated this past weekend!!