Bellingham Climate Strike 9/20/19

If there's a reason to protest, Bellingham will come out to protest it. I took the kiddos down, to give them something to think about, and also brought the 300mm lens which really lets you reach out and touch somebody, by god.

I doubt the efficacy of protests for creating change, and I think there's a lot of silliness involved, but these people have their hearts in the right place. My mission here is to normalize for my children the idea of protest, of questioning, and of seeking change. Whether protests change anything or not, the idea that we ought to do what we can ought to be normal.

Here are some photos. I actually do take pictures from time to time, so y'all shut up.

Antifa. looking like the idiots they are. No offense, you're just kids, but, jesus. Grow up:

First Nations, represent! In Bellingham we are loudly self-conscious about the fact that all our land is stolen from Lummi Nation. We don't give it back or anything, but we spend a lot of time acknowledging that we stole it. How this helps anything is.. unclear:

Many many signs. Some witty. Some stale. Some both.

The speakers were mostly First Nations, or kids. Mostly kids:

These kids taught us how to chant "WHAT DO WE WANT?" "CLIMATE JUSTICE!" "WHEN DO WE WANT IT?" "NOW!" "OH GOD KILL ME NOW PLEASE."

There are always some real characters at a Bellingham protest:

Then we all marched around town for a while. My kids were done so we got bagels and went home instead.

The local press. Yes, they use phone photos.