For this Saturday, I want to stress that the atmosphere that the No Kings Protest is trying to embody is patriotism. This is a continuation of Hands Off. A movement doesn’t grow overnight and doesn’t end in a day. For Hands Off, there were 3 million people who showed up across the country. No Kings has been shaping up to be an even larger event. With each event, it gives other people courage to also stand up.
Additionally, when there is something going on in the news that resonates with people we have seen a larger than usual turnout. This week will result in one of those times. I’m sure you all have been watching the news in horror over what has broken out in LA with the ICE raids at work sites and protests escalating with the increased use of excessive force. Newsom is right to be angry that the guard has been deployed without his involvement. The only other times that the guard has been deployed by a president against the will of a governor has been to protect the people, not suppress them.
I attended a Zoom call yesterday with the leadership of Indivisible, and we are pressing forward with No Kings. This is not just an LA problem, this is an everywhere problem. We welcome protest signs that stand in solidarity with LA. Using excessive force to create fear, detain people without a warrant or just cause, and attempting to silence the people is exactly what the No Kings protest is standing up against.
We may be angry, but violence is not the answer. Let’s start by de-escalating our own attitudes towards people in our community. This is not LA. This is Ridgecrest. I have invited an officer from Ridgecrest Police Department to join us this weekend to say hello and promote community trust. For those who have been out there protesting with us, you may have noticed that when the police drive by they wave at us. This is because we are not at odds with the RPD. We are not the bad guys, we do not need to fear the police. We are not going to be teargassed or arrested by RPD for expressing our 1st amendment rights peacefully. For the last 5 months, we have shown the city that we are a peaceful movement. Let’s continue to stand together and celebrate our 1st amendment right with love for our country.
Stand strong,
Brenda
Please visit these links for protest resources and more information about our movement:
Ridgecrest 50501 