On April 5, I joined people around the nation for a “Hands Off” protest, demonstrating against the current administration in the United States, and the many, many actions they’ve taken to harm humans. While crowd estimates are difficult to come by, some reports put the number at five million who participated in the United States, and in locations worldwide.
Since the January 20 inauguration, I’ve felt a certain sense of angst and despair about the cruelty perpetrated on everyone from immigrants to transgender folks to people in Ukraine and Gaza, who are threatened every moment by bombs sent to them from impetuous madmen, and supported by an impetuous madman in our White House. The news cycle, with one bad act after another, has overwhelmed me, making me think there’s nothing I can do, personally, to circumvent the forces of evil that seem hell-bent on making some people’s lives miserable.
Going to a protest in Salem, Ore., didn’t seem like it would make a difference. What could one voice, carrying a poorly-crafted sign, really do? But I went anyway, mostly because a good friend was also going, and there’s no harm in spending a day with someone I cherish.
The 3.5 Percent Rule
So we drove to Salem, then walked toward the state capitol with our signs, a little worried that the protest would be poorly attended. We saw only a smattering of people, after all. But then, we turned a corner, and suddenly the crowd was there, on both sides of the thoroughfare, two and three and four people deep, holding signs of and chanting.
I started crying, as did my friend. We stood together in silence, looking at each other and at the crowd, and realized that we were not alone in feeling despair about the state of our country. About the cruelty of our leaders. About what seems like a swift decline into facism. I cried because others obviously cared about the marginalized in our communities–their presence and their signs said as much.
For the first time in several months, I felt a sense of hope that good might overcome evil after all. Later, on social media, I saw the images from across the United States, from nearby Portland (where nearly 10,000 protesters marched), to small midwest towns, where several dozen folks in very red communities courageously made their views known. I read about the 3.5 percent theory: that when 3.5 percent of a population is involved in nonviolent protest, they can create radical change.
By some estimates, the protest on April 5 was 2 percent of the U.S. population. There’s hope that as early spring turns to late spring and then summer, the protests will keep rolling along, and soon there might be the 3.5 percent needed to create a real impact.
Praying with our Protest
The next significant protest is planned for April 19, the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. In many Christian traditions, this is Holy Saturday, a time for prayer and reflection as we await the resurrection of Christ, a resounding reminder that the wills of empires will ultimately be overthrown by good, and that Jesus’ redemptive love will always trump cruelty.
What better way to “pray with our feet” (in the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel) than to march in defiance of an administration who worships power and wealth. Protests are planned across the country, in big cities and small towns. You can find more information here.
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