I traveled to Washington, DC late last week to give a talk to some tech executives. I also went down to the White House to join a protest and then protested again in Madison, WI. As I was landing at Reagan National Airport, I caught a glimpse of the National Mall, complete with the Washington Monument and Capitol Building, standing tall and exactly where I left them two years ago when I was last there. Weirdly, I was surprised to find myself taken aback that DC was not crumbling to the ground.
It turns out that with all of the turmoil going on in our Federal Government, all the people losing their jobs, all the funding being pulled back, my subconscious assumed that Washington, DC would be on fire. I thought I’d show up and find people homeless, camped out on the streets, buildings empty, and Republicans being shuttled around in their expensive cars, avoiding the hardest hit areas. But, no, DC looks the same as it did when I lived there seven years ago. And that made me feel happy. Perhaps we have a chance of setting things right and moving on together after all? The physical monuments of our democratic society are still standing.
Protesting at the White House
I made a point to head down to The White House, where there are always a few protesters. I wanted to join them Friday afternoon, but to my dismay, all I found were a couple of people camped out and a lot of tourists.
The White House was, however, reenforcing its barriers, barricading itself inside — for what? I can only assume they were worried about the planned protest this past Saturday, April 5th. Already, people can’t get as close as they used to on the North side of the White House. There are about three fences and a whole street blocked off now. Security guards were actively setting up more barriers all around the ellipse. It was symbolic. The people inside ruining the entire country, but instead of inviting people inside to hear about how they could help, they’re blocking us out.
Nevertheless, I was shocked not to find a major protest on Friday. I figured the people that lost their jobs would be down there every day, exercising their right to free speech. But, it seems those people are inside instead, applying to whatever small number of jobs they can find, trying to rebuild their lives and figure out what to do next. So, I did something I’d been wanting to do for a while, then walked toward the Washington Monument.
1300 Protests Around the World
On April 5th, 2025 there were over 1300 protests against Trump held all around the world. I couldn’t stay for the one in DC, but I did make it to the one in Madison, WI. Rumor has it that Madison’s protest had 10,000 people and the one in Washington, DC saw up to 100,000 people show up. Streets were crowded with angry protestors carrying clever signs from Boston to Paris. I’ve never been to a protest before. I’ve always assumed they are reserved for the really crazy people that feel passionate about some outlying topic. The government tends to run itself fine so I hadn’t needed to get involved. Until now.
Madison’s Protest
I have to say, going to the Madison protest Saturday was one of the very best things I’ve ever done. First of all, it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Here, we had thousands of people acting logically (something we’ve all forgotten is possible), talking about the right things, angry as all hell and willing to do something about it. Secondly, I brought my 14-year-old daughter and she and I both had tears in our eyes as we walked towards the Capitol and saw the crowd. I think it is one of the most important things she’s ever witnessed. This is democracy in action. This freedom of speech is one of the many things we are fighting to preserve.
The signs were amazing. We have a lot of different things to complain about and everyone made a sign about something they cared deeply about. My very favorite one said, “I like my government like I like my coffee, NOT in my vagina.” Well, yes, well said.
Marching for Democracy
It took us about an hour to march the approximately 8 blocks from the Capitol Building to Library Mall. There were so many people that we spanned the entire length of State Street and then some! Young, old, humans, dogs: we all showed up because we are sick of watching our democracy become dismantled by the very people that a portion of our state voted for.
As we watch our retirement investments tank, and read about how much the farmers and manufacturing companies in Wisconsin are going to be affected, my only hope is that we as a nation can impeach this president quickly. No one deserves to be suddenly thrown out of work. None of us deserve this man-made recession. I shouldn’t have to explain to my kids why our President and other rich white men can break the law, but the rest of us can be deported for doing nothing.
I shouldn’t have to explain to my kids why our President and other rich white men can break the law, but the rest of us can be deported for doing nothing.
Next Protest – April 19th
The next worldwide protest will take place on April 19th, 2025. Hundreds of organizations have now banned together to encourage as many people as possible to come out. If you’re angry and you don’t know what to do, consider joining a protest near you on the 19th. I guarantee you will feel better and find some inspiration to keep fighting against the injustice of all of this.