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Liar Liar World On Fire
“It’s hard to know where to start with Donald Trump,” said the man carrying a sign that read: “Liar Liar World On Fire.” He was responding to my question on why he chose to carry that particular message. He said: “I suppose the Big Lie is one thing. And also the world is on fire because of the illegal and unjustified war in Iran. And the killing of fisherman in the Caribbean. Those are war crimes. He’s flouting international law.”
He was among the thousands of people who showed up on Saturday in Dublin to protest against Donald Trump in Ireland. The Irish people, known for their hospitality and kindness to visitors, showed the world with their signs that they don’t suffer fools and criminals. And I marched beside them, handing out roses and chanting along to the refrain:
“People’s voices loud and clear, Donald Trump’s not welcome here!”
There were supposed to be pro-Trump supporters, but I didn’t see any. Just people of all ages carrying signs and banners, representing dozens of activist groups or simply their own conscience.
One Irish woman wanted me to pass along her message to America:
“Come On Proud America! You Can Do Better Than This!!
She wanted me to tell my readers that she is praying for America, and praying for people to get past their fear and into action to do whatever is necessary to remove the criminal regime that’s infecting the free world.
Among the photocopied images on her husband’s sign was a butterfly with these words:
“The Only Orange Monarch We Need”
The old newsie in me had me running to the front of the march, so I could capture a banner that read:
“No Welcome For Trump”
Surrounding the main message were the words: “climate denier, warmonger, genocide enabler, Epstein class, racist.”
That about covers it.
I always bring flowers to protests, as they often help diffuse tense situations, and I gave a rose for best costume to the guy dressed like Rocky in Rocky Horror Picture Show, reimagined as a diapered Trump in golden cowboy boots and holding an angry Trump baby balloon.
His t-shirt read: Trump Not Welcome.
I handed out another rose to the woman wearing an Indictment Reunion Tour t-shirt, which listed in small print on the back all of Trump and his co-conspirators’ indictments and convictions.
Another rose went to a gentleman whose sharpied DIY t-shirt was epic.
It read:
“HERE TO SEE THE WATERCANNON … Thank you for your attention to this matter”
Look, I knew the signs would be clever. The Irish are inherently witty. But everywhere I looked was another magnificent message.
I had a chance to thank a young girl holding a sign that read:
“A Woman’s Place Is In the Resistance”
Seeing her reminded me of the powerful young girls I met at the Women’s March on Washington in 2017 singing about ‘girl power.’
And in my head, I heard the lyrics: “It’s times like these you learn to live again.”
Time and time again.
Refugees Welcome 🤍 Bigots Can Fuck Off
I was born in San Francisco in the ‘60s. Marching in support of civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, and against war is in my DNA, something I passed along to my children, who joined me in marching against W’s war in Iraq when they were very young.
My heart is warmed by community that comes together in compassion and collectively says, “This isn’t right.” We may have gotten here on different ideological ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.
To the man with the sign that read:
“Refugees Welcome 🤍 Bigots Can Fuck Off”
I say thank you.
Along with Irish flags and flags in support of Palestine - for Ireland, which was also colonized by the British, has always supported the Palestinian people - you could also find flags in support of Ukraine.
People carrying sticks with clever balloons of Trump in flagrante delicto with Musk, Netanyahu, Putin, and Epstein also earned the rose award.
As Long As You Go Back and Start a Revolution
I overheard a gentleman sitting on an electrical box earnestly telling a group of Americans: “As long as you go back and start a revolution.”
From his mouth…
Shaving Thorns Off Roses
In my rush to make it to the protest on time, I had forgotten to buy flowers, which I always bring unfailingly. Here is me at the first anti-Trump march, post-2016 US election, raising a flower toward riot police in downtown Los Angeles. That was ten years ago, 12 November 2016.
On Saturday, as I made my way into Dublin, I realized I needed to stop and grab some flowers, and I found two dozen fuchsia roses at a Tesco and only later realized they had thorns.
So in advance of the march, I shaved off each thorn one at a time, ensuring safe handoffs.
I had to turn away from the woman who told me she was praying for a proud America to find its courage.
Kind words always make me weep, so I excused myself to weep privately under a tree.
Overhead, fireworks began to light up the sky and as I saw the smoke and the sparkle I was reminded of advice I shared with my daughter a decade ago, when she and her teenage friends went to protest the 2016 election in the first days after the November election:
1. always hold flowers, and bring extra
2. most people are good and kind and hurting just like you. appreciate the courage of the men who show up. they are hurting too
3. make your chants good and kind, words of love not hate. we are from california and we do not hate. bring a bullhorn. spread a message of love
4. you must have an achievable goal, and if the goal is “electoral reform now” that is a chant and that is called Due Process, and due process is an attainable goal
5. when the police presence begins to make your skin crawl, leave. you are no good to this world as a leader if you can not continue to lead. plus, you are my daughter. i know you must march, but you must be streetwise.
It’s been a long decade, and a lot of marches.
I was happy to be in Dublin on Saturday.
I told my husband that he could be sure that the news in America would be of the one guy who got dropped on his head and lit a trashcan on fire, and that would then be how people perceived the March. I said that’s why are here, to bear witness and report the truth.
Sure enough, this morning, I saw news reports from the one group among ten thousand peaceful people that burned a US flag. Typical titushky.
I can tell you the day was beautiful.
Thousands of compassionate people walked side by side against what we all know is something evil.
So I’ll leave you with one more sign, from another young Dubliner speaking truth to power:
“To Ignore Evil Is To Become An Accomplice To It”
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Begin each day with a grateful heart.
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Soo beautiful my sis. Especially the roses. We cannot become that which we oppose. Love you and y/our wonderful family and all the world.