Women's March Oakland, January 21, 2017

Among 100,000 people in Oakland, I managed to meet up with my friend Joy and my family members from Seattle and San Francisco. Then our phones collectively and figuratively blew up due to mass usage and anyone else we knew, we bumped into the old-fashioned accidental way. That was part of the magic. Never have I been part of such a large protest and never in my long protesting history has a protest been this peaceful and joyous.

There was music, laughter, dancing, sign-waving, adorable babies, people in wheelchairs braving potholed terrain, BART delays, shuffling progress due to walking the streets alongside SO MANY PEOPLE—of all ages, backgrounds and affiliations. It was uplifting to be with one another, walking in sunny Oakland.

This administration is without a doubt our nation's shittiest (and that's saying something), but they are the minority, and they gained their power through subterfuge and gerrymandering. We are the majority and we will prevail. That's not rhetoric. That's a fact. As a wise man (Jerry Springer—surprise!) once said, "Liberals always win (in the end)."

Some dancing in the streets courtesy of the fabulous drumline from SambaFunk!.




Snippets, shot hastily while in a protesting glow.




Some photos of the day.

Me, Joy

Tom, Linda, Jenny, me (hats made by Linda—thank you!

My Pussy Riot sign. It's a keeper.

My friend Sherry LaVars, who shoots for the Marin Independent Journal, gave me permission to post some of her personal work here. Thank you, Sher.

Sher in the middle with two friends

See you at the next march. If you can't make it, there'll be more.