Author: rayela

Brazil 18years + Chicago 20yrs + Paducah since 2005 These have shaped my path and interests. I spent many years as an active artist (ceramics and textiles) but have focused on promoting the creative community online since 2010. My current projects are Artizan Made and this site, Creative PlaceMakers.

hands off!

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on April 5th, successfully organized by hands off!  NPR reported:

Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists, according to the Associated Press.  See the article and GREAT photos!

 

Why are so many people upset?  Donald Trump’s administration took office on January 20, 2025, and since then has created chaos with shock and awe tactics that are destabilizing the institutions, economy and safety of the United States.  People are being picked up on the streets by ICE (immigration) and shipped to unknown destinations with no phone calls or due process. Elon Musk created DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and installed a young techy group which has invaded government buildings, fired thousands of employees, accessed all of our private information, and made one mistake after another.  The list goes on and on and people are scared, for good reason. The stock market is now falling because of Trump’s insane use of tariffs to supposedly spur “fair competition” with international suppliers.

Hands off! organized this day of demonstrations as a visual response to what is happening. The map in our featured image shows the locations that organized protests yesterday.  Several places in other countries showed solidarity by joining on in.  From their website:

We are facing a national crisis. Our democracy, our livelihoods, and our rights are all on the line as Trump and Musk execute their illegal takeover.

They’re dismantling Social Security and Medicare—forcing seniors and disabled Americans to jump through hoops to access the benefits they’ve already paid into.

They’re handing trillions to billionaires—while forcing the rest of us to pay higher prices for food, rent, and healthcare.

They’re gutting protections for working people—so payday lenders, banks, and credit card companies can scam Americans with zero consequences.

They’re assaulting our communities and our rights—targeting veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents.

They won’t stop there.

This is not just corruption. This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover.

We expected things to be bad under Trump as Project 2025 outlined their goals and now we are seeing them enacted.  I don’t think anybody believed that anyone could get away with what is happening.  But, the Republicans have control of the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court and so far, they have been unwilling to stop the madness.

I saw many of my friends in my social media feeds, all taking a stand.

we the people!

A couple of days ago, Kamala Harris gave a speech, reminding us that fear is contagious.  Then, she said:  “But, so is courage!”  And, it is true!  At least I felt such a surge of pride in seeing so many people get out there and lift up their voices.  Check out this album of photos from the Guardian and the video below:

do protests work?

The founding of the United States and every bit of civic progress we have made since then has evolved from protests.  We are an imperfect country with a history of horrors in how we have treated Native peoples, minorities, immigrants and other countries.  But, we have also worked hard at improving our laws and behavior so that all people feel welcome and represented.  All of this is being torn down quickly to satisfy agendas that largely espouse white supremacy and Christian nationalism. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have become nasty words. I wrote about this dystopia in my last post focusing especially on George Orwell and Teddy Roosevelt.

Amnesty International has been speaking up for the voiceless and oppressed ever since it was founded, often putting themselves in harm’s way by documenting their stories and using protests as a tool for change. They have lots of resources on their website, including suggestions on how to stay safe.

Wikipedia has a HUGE list of protests around the world (21st century), arranged by location and topic:  just scroll down so you know that it is there….  And, Buzzwothy, has a pick of their top 10 protests that made historical impact, many of which I recognized and a couple that were new to me.

I started following Eivind Trædal from Norway a while back: “Norwegian author and member of Oslo city council (MDG). Also a prolific poster. Working for the environment, justice and democracy.”  He has been cheering us on and has great insights.  It is good to see perspectives that are not tied up with our own self preservation and he has shared some excellent historical stories. His messaging is so kind and hopeful!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Eivind Trædal (@eivindtraedal)

nonviolence

Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and other big names in the protest movements had nonviolence as a core value and so does Hands Off!

A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values, and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

This is my biggest fear here in the United States.  Both Republicans and Democrats have been stocking up on weapons and ammo. Bloodshed does not solve anything and makes the logistics of coming together even more complicated.  There are divisions that will never be resolved because we just see the world in fundamentally different ways.  Trump and his Administration supposedly believe in a small and efficient government and that has been a legitimate political goal in our history.  But, they are actually motivated purely by greed and self interest.  There has been a disconnect in the Republican agenda for decades.  They always talk about deficits and wanting to cut social programs and yet every single Republican President wreaks havoc on our economy and then the next Democrat cleans it up.  Democrats do overspend, but I would rather have some inefficiency than the cruelty we see from the Trump Administration. People on both sides are angry and fed up, with good reason, but having another Civil War will not solve this.

Protests on their own, if they are well organized and attended like Hands Off! make a great visual and an opportunity for people to come together as a mass.  It’s energizing and exciting.  But, there are many other ways of pressuring the wannabe kings and we are seeing several successful campaigns that are making a difference. Boycotts are making a difference.  The Trump administration is pressuring universities, law firms, and other institutions to get rid of any Diversity, Equity and Inclusion references or efforts if they want to continue to receive Federal funding.  It’s been nuts to see how quickly so many have bent the knee.  But, others have resisted.  Costco, for example, had a meeting with their board and they voted unanimously to double down on their DEI programs and even increase them.  They have been rewarded by positive press and loyalty.  I saw a comment on Instagram between two Canadians where one was telling the other that it was ok to support Costco.  The other replied, “OK, then I will go to Costco and buy Canadian products there!”

The Commons Social Change Library has an excellent resource of nonviolent action.  This might inspire new ideas, if you are wanting to do something interesting….  There are 198 methods listed and then an index of tags (topics) and authors/organizations that link to their histories.

My favorite messaging comes through humor.  I follow a bunch of comedians and late night shows and they make me laugh and I can feel better.  One of the cleverest new channels I started following is Cats on a Couch, on Instagram.  This account targets JD Vance.  They started it because of his comments about childless cat ladies being miserable beings (I happen to have three cats, no children…) and a rumor that Vance had sex with a couch. (Not true, but it stuck.)  They make new content daily, silly stuff with cats dancing and couches flying in the background, but the clever part is that they now have an army of people who are typing “meow” on Vance’s Instagram accounts.  heheheheheheheh!

meow!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cats on a Couch by Amanda McGonigle (@catsonacouch)

photos from our community

I put the word out saying that I was writing this post and that if people had photos they wanted to share, I would post them.  If you also want to be on here, you can send me jpegs by email (rayela @ comcast . net) and I will add them in.  You can also use the comment area to post reflections that you might have on the protests or what is happening with the rise of authoritarianism around the world. (Scroll all the way down to see the comments.  They will show up once I approve them.)

Click on the photos to follow their links.

I think, too, not only participation in protests, but other projects. I went through a de-escalation training and can see that coming in handy in many ways. I’m also starting a small recycling service so that I can pick up items in La Sal and take them up to Moab. Keep them out of the landfills. I read a lot and try to get myself to the best human being I can through community participation. Not necessarily art work, although I am also trying to find as many ways as possible to reuse the bailing twine from the hay bails. Made of polyester, the waste is extraordinary in that it just gets dumped. So far, car seat cover, scrubbies and I’m working on a hanging chair.  Mary Hertert

Checking in from Fort Walton Beach, FL! A couple hundred protestors and less than 20 counter protesting. Very peaceful walk down Main Street, America. I liked this shot when we stopped, lined up on both sides of the road, in front of the German restaurant. I sent that to my friend in Germany immediately. I was there alone but immediately met someone else there alone, also a visitor in this town, and had a great chat in between chants and honking cars. My favorite sign was ‘I’ve seen better cabinets at IKEA’     -Ray Caines

It was a bigger turnout than I had imagined it would be!   -Ginger Blossom

Potsdam, NY (northern NY really get near the Canadian border). Very rural and lots of trump voters. Also Elise Stefanik territory. Over 500 miles of people and lots of support from cars driving by! Also, across from a sorority house !  -Cait Whittle Throop

Boston protest. 100,000 strong. Great vibes and good trouble.   -Meg Black

---

Hands Off! did a wonderful job in organizing these protests!  Of course, any movement or action only succeeds because “we the people” sign up for it, back it, spread it around and make it happen. Still, they deserve great kudos for the clarity of their goals and spreading the locations through their map.  I love the map!

Creative PlaceMakers is also an effort to map people who use their creativity to support diversity and the environment.  Join us! Get on our map!  It’s only $25/year and it is a labor of love.  Placemaking uses the arts to generate economic development, making neighborhoods and cities vibrant places to live. Our map seeks to connect people locally and online, people who share these values.  These people inspired this site.