Readiness to Rally

I believe in free speech, and needed to take a closer look at my reluctance to participate in any protest, rally, or march. I have never been at home in huge crowds, although it has always been manageable at professional sporting events or concerts at places like the Boston Garden, or the outdoor venue in Mansfield.

In these places everyone is there to watch whatever game or performers are on stage and even if the crowd gets rowdy, it is typically a small pocket of people who do, and there is always security on site to get it under control, or eject the offending person. I don’t really even think about this on my way to watch the Patriots or Bruins, or to see Sting or Paul Simon or Taylor Swift.

It is political events which I worry can get out of hand, either by the protesters, or those assigned to keep them in line. People may get heated about a sports team, but it is not their livelihood on the line, or their access to healthcare, or how they can expect to be treated if they are anything other than the traditional, docile family with a picket fence serving as a boundary.

When the Women’s March in 2017 took place, people needed a way to express the extreme upset about the election in anticipation of what living under the leadership of someone who cared more about winning his own agenda than hearing the wishes and needs of the people he was about to govern. I was in Patagonia, on a trip that had been planned months ahead of the election. One daughter was at university in Scotland, and the other attended the march with my husband. I fretted but could do nothing. I supported their wilingness to be there and participate on a January day in Boston and teared up seeing people piling onto buses and airplanes in order to be present and participate. I both wanted to be with them and was relieved that I wasn’t.

My husband and I were away in June during the first No Kings Protest of 2025. On October 18th, we were here, the weather was inviting, and it felt like time to confront my fears, and support the voices of people who embrace democracy. We started in our home town where a lively gathering carried signs and listened to speakers, including Senator Eldridge, who emphasized the importance of continuing to expect our government to behave like a democracy, and treat everyone fairly and with respect.

We continued on to Boston, taking a crowded train to Park Street and walking the short distance to where the stage was set up to welcome Mayor Wu, Senator Warren, musical guests and others. Inflatable Roosters mingled with inflatable bananas, unicorns, and frogs with capes. The Halloween mash-up with the protest created an air of expectation and community. The levity mixed with the gravity in a way that made it feel safe to be there.

With the emphasis on non-violence and being heard, it was a dynamic and graphic demonstration of a sign that read “power of the people is greater than the people in power.”

I had been worried that the protest would be at some cost to me- my safety, my confidence that we can be heard. I had visions of the military wielding weapons, however unwarranted that may have been. What I learned instead is that the rally sparked curiosity, and a connection to millions of citizens of our country and the world. We can gather in large numbers in a peaceful way, and let it be known that we feel strongly about each other, about strangers who all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We have the right and the responsibility to follow our hearts, and speak up for ourselves, and those we love. I have voted with my feet, and feel able to do so again.