10 Questions About…

Today 80,000 people attended the No Kings Day of Defiance TC event in St. Paul. We met at St Paul College, marched half a mile to the Capitol and rallied for more than two hours. A team of folks have been planning for about six weeks including Women’s March MN, Indivisible Twin Cities, MN 50501 and AFL-CIO of Minnesota. Today was not the event we planned. Today was the march we needed.

Sadly, a tragic event changed everything in the early morning hours. A shooter, dressed as a police officer went to the home of Senator John Hoffman and shot him and his wife. He also went to the home of Representative Melissa Hortman, where he shot and killed her and her husband. It is 7pm as I write this and the man is still at large. He apparently is targeting pro-choice and pro-abortion folks. It is abhorrent, frightening and unspeakably sad. While I did not know Hoffman, I did have discussion with Hortman on the ERA. She was frank and formidable. She’d get my vote and I was happy she was on our (ERA) side. But I don’t want to dwell, right now, on the tragedy.

Many thought we should stay at home today. The event was planned as an event to drown out Trump and his grandiose visions of being king with a scream of solidarity with 1,600 other marches around the county. The event became a time to give and accept comfort from our neighbors. To show respect for our elected officials who see us, hear us and represent us. To recognize that we need each other and that we are imminently more powerful together than alone.

I was proud to be part of the amazingly talented planning team. I did some scary things, like be interviewed live on the radio and chat on TV. My heart grew bigger to see friends (such as Venus DeMars, Surly Grrly and Kashimana) perform. Well, actually I couldn’t’ see them because I was livestreaming the march from the College as thy performed from the Capitol – but even a quarter mile away I could hear their amazing voices and songs. Speakers were amazing; big thanks to AG Kieth Ellison for showing up and being inspirational.

In the end, more people that we dreamed attended on a summer weekend in Minnesota with terrible road construction, even for Minnesota and advice from public safety to stay home. I saw many people talk to the tables of nonrpfots to learn about what they could do next to help. I saw coalitions form between speakers, volunteers, performers and security. I saw the best of Minnesota and it gave me hope and drive to continue to do what I can do to fight for our rights and freedoms for ourselves, our neighbors and everyone’s kids.

Also special thanks to my friends Monica Nilsson and Mary Magnuson for helping!