Newspaper Page Text
fm% feature
A truck full of Trump supporters
drives through the rally.
r*
v
AMTTER
Cornm/ttee
By Martha Michael news@flagpole.com
U an unseasonably warm
H ■ night for mid-January,
B ™ a makeshift band, giant
bird puppets and a crowd of thousands
gathered around Athens City Hall Jan. 20
in protest of newly inaugurated President
Donald Trump, filling in every inch of space
from Washington Street to Hancock Avenue
and from College Avenue to the City Hall
doors.
At what might be the largest march
in Athens history, the Day of Resistance
drew an estimated 2,500-4,500 attendees,
according to Athens for Everyone, who
helped organize it.
While the march was organized in
response to the inauguration of Trump,
it was not specific to one cause. Speakers
included representatives from U-Lead
Athens, an organization for undocumented
students; The Cottage, a nonprofit that
assists sexual assault survivors; Students
for Justice in Palestine and Athens for
Everyone.
Looking on from the roof of the
Washington Street parking deck and the
steps of the First American Bank and Trust,
the crowd joined in chants like “The people
united will never be defeated!” in between
speakers.
“The only suggestion I have for a wall
is that we build one around the Donald
himself,” said Sophia Perez, a student from
U-Lead Athens, after describing the obsta
cles facing undocumented immigrants,
especially students, in the wake of a new
president strongly opposed to immigration
reform. “I refuse to accept anything less
than respect for these people.”
Sally Sheppard, executive director of
The Cottage, spoke to the crowd about
sexual assault, of which President Trump
was caught on tape bragging about before
appearing on “Access Hollywood” in 2005.
Osama Mor from Students for Justice in
Palestine objected to the continued sup
port of Israel by administrations “both
Republican and Democrat”.
“Our marginalized communities are
under attack. Our communities are aware
of these attacks. We are organizing against
these challenges. We will protect our
people,” Mor said. “We have to fight, we
have to resist, not just Trump but the entire
system.”
Marchers only had access to the side
walks, filing the huge crowd into a line that
could be seen stretching from City Hall,
down Hancock and circling back around up
Clayton all at once. It was clear from the
looks of shock on patrons inside Creature
Comforts brewery that no one was expect
ing a crowd this large.
The march also included stops along the
route, including the double-barrelled can
non; a fraternity house, “where we know
sometimes consent is debatable,” march
organizer Ashley Na said; and Wells Fargo
bank, which represent “points of impor
tance” regarding the problems activists
have organized against, Na said.
Before the march began, poet Celeste
Ngeve challenged the crowd: “I want to
know what it’s going to take for us to be
a fist. Not just a pinky or a thumb or a
pointer finger—a fist. It’s going to take
all of us... And at the nucleus of our hand
there’s got to be love, there’s got to be peace
and there’s got to be unity.”
As the crowd began to move along the
route, one group shouted, “Tell me what
democracy looks like!” To which marchers
responded, “This is what democracy looks
like!” ©
Nancy MacNair (center) leads a group of Unitarian Universalist church members in the march.
UGA Students Walk Out of Class
Several hundred students, professors and community members gathered on Jan. 20
at 11:45 a.m.—the same moment that President Donald Trump was inaugurated
into office—to voice opposition to the incoming administration. “Walk Out” protes
tors met in groups at the main library on the University of Georgia’s North Campus
and the ROTC building on South Campus. Two parades of black-clad marchers then
made their way to the rendezvous point at Tate Plaza.
Real Food & Amnesty, the Lambda Alliance, the Women’s Studies Student
Organization, the UGA National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
the Undocumented Student Alliance, Students for Justice in Palestine and Athens
for Everyone had representatives speak to a crowd that continued to grow. The black
clothes of the marchers eventually mingled with the plainclothes passersby who
were drawn to stay, some out of solidarity, some out of curiosity.
“We were hoping for a good turnout; this is an amazing turnout,” said Adwoa
Agyepong, co-president of Amnesty International at UGA.
Megan Westbrook, a member of Athens for Everyone, urged the crowd to
email UGA President Jere Morehead and sign an online petition (tinyurl.com/
DearMorehead) demanding that he protect students, faculty and staff from discrimi
natory state and national policies.
“We want to hold UGA accountable to their own words," said Mike Olsen of
the linguistics department. “This is their own statement on equal opportunity and
discrimination, and we’re encouraging students, faculty, whomever, to take action
not only if they see discrimination but to be heard and email President Morehead
demanding basically the same statement, that UGA protect its people." [Kat Khoury]
co
o
<c
CO
o
8
FLAGPOLE.COM | JANUARY 25, 2017
JOSHUA L. JONES