Today, over 200 people gathered on Innes St., starting at the Jackson St. corner of Bell Tower Green – the sunny weather drew a crowd with signs, flags, and more than a few chants, including ‘No king, no crown / America won’t bow down’ and ‘Show me what democracy looks like! / THIS is what democracy looks like!’. Thousands of people saw the gathering as they drove by – so let’s talk about why it’s so important.
From Amnesty International:
“Protest is an invaluable way to speak truth to power. Throughout history, protests have been the driving force behind some of the most powerful social movements, exposing injustice and abuse, demanding accountability and inspiring people to keep hoping for a better future.”
Rowan County Democratic Party Chair, Geoffrey Hoy
Our community is in crisis; Our actions reflect what many others know or feel, but may be unable to express. Beyond that, they can help create a sense of urgency around the issue, and help lawmakers prioritize (or pay attention to) issues their community is upset over – and YES, it works!
The Atlantic writes “Will all this accomplish something? The answer is, yes, of course protests work, but usually not in the way and timeframe that many people think. Protests sometimes look like failures in the short term, but much of the power of protests is in their long-term effects, on both the protesters themselves and the rest of society.”
It’s clear that this is just the beginning of our movement here in Salisbury, and while the Rowan County Democratic Party has not scheduled any protests ourselves, we will continue to keep you informed about community happenings – and we’ll keep seeing you out there!
