I went down to the demonstration

To get my fair share of abuse

Singing, “We’re gonna vent our frustration

If we don’t we’re gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – The Rolling Stones

Because of my health issues, I have avoided crowds up until this point. After Monday’s threat (or promise) to unleash the American military on Americans exercising “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”, I could no longer stay cloistered. I needed to add one more body to the count.

So on Tuesday I joined a peaceful gathering at Foley Square in downtown Manhattan. There were speeches and a wide range of people present. Everyone I saw wore a mask and while vocal, were focused on the issues at hand. It was a very positive vibe.

Aptly the demonstration took place in front of a courthouse on which was etched “The True Administration of Justice is the Firmest Pillar of Good Government.” At one point we were all asked to take a knee, but my limited mobility made it very difficult to stand again. From that point on I must admit I merely stooped over as I really wasn’t sure I could safely stand again. Ouch!

Finally we began marching downtown in what was a very peaceful, positive demonstration. Early on I was near the front of the crowd and watched organizers negotiate with police who block by block allowed it to proceed once they had set up positions. They steered us away from the Brooklyn Bridge but allowed it to proceed.

By the time we reached City Hall my hobbling allowed the crowd to start passing me by and I knew I could not walk much longer than getting back to the subway. (You can see the progression of my injuries in the ‘Footnote’ series on this blog.) While I limped away the crowd moved on, growing from the thousand or so I started with to more than ten thousand and ran well into the evening. I look forward to regaining my mobility to allow me to show up as this continues. As it was I walked as far as I physically could.

#SayHisName

George Floyd

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes