I left work today and was amazed at the site of hundreds of people marching down Market St. People of all ages, races, genders, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Angry, fed up, determined to have their voices heard. It was a moving sight to say the least. Of course my phone was dead at the time, so instead of photos, I will describe what I witnessed.
As they made their way up the street, they said many things.
No Justice, No Peace, No Racist, Police. The whole damn system is broken as hell. Black Lives Matter
People on the side walk watched, armed with their smart phone cameras. Some took photos and videos, some look confused, some look scared. Market St. at this time of day on a Friday is full of tourists waiting in the long lines to get onto the Cable Car. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the demonstration unfold.
The most inspiring part was that some joined in. People who were not planning on being a part of this were moved to walk side by side and make their voices heard too.
There was a guy playing his saxaphone in front of Westfield mall. Even with all of the noise, he kept on playing. I didn't hear a single note that he played, but his dedication to his craft inspired me so I threw $5 into his sax case.
Like many people, I am shocked, saddened, even disgusted with the current state of affairs in this country. I am glad we live in a place where we are legally allowed to come together and tell the powers that be that the system is fucked. I hope someone is listening. When non-violent demonstrations fail to be recognized, they tend to turn violent. In some cities this has already happened.
I saw this on twitter today, and this specific message really resonates with me.
Figure 1: Martin Luther King Quote
We must come together. Young and old, gay and straight, christian and muslim, black and white. We must come together and make this world a place where we can all live in peace. There is no other alternative.
Update
I made my way over to City Hall after my phone charged for a bit and took a couple of photos. Many people spoke, and I stood there and listened. The most profound thing that I heard, was the end of one woman's speech:
I can no longer accept the things I cannot change. I must change the things that I cannot accept.
In addition to the quote, one thing that someone said that cannot be more true is that this is not about coming out for one night to protest. This is about what we, as a community and as individuals do tomorrow, and the next day. Spread the word, share these photos, keep the conversation going until we find a solution.