Over the weekend, San Diego hosted what has been reported as the largest rally against the passage of Proposition 8 in the country. A crowd estimated at 20,000 - 25,000 assembled in the neighborhood of Hillcrest and marched to the County Administration Center on the waterfront, a considerable distance. The march was peaceful and upbeat, and the event attracted remarkably few counter-protesters. Others have noted with some surprise that the San Diego rally was much larger than similar rallies held in San Francisco (7,500 people), Los Angeles (10,000) and New York (12,000). I'm not sure whether to credit the impressive turnout to some latent San Diego activism or our perfect weather, but it was striking nonetheless.
A much smaller but equally passionate protest took place a few blocks from our home, as residents and community leaders of Ocean Beach rallied in front of the O.B. library branch. Jane and I went down to take part, and were quickly handed signs to wave at passing motorists (unfortunately, Jane's was heartfelt but misspelled - "San Deigo [sic], America's Dumbest City"). The honks from passing motorists were constant, and the speeches given by Frank Gormile (editor of the local and excellent OB Rag Blog), Pat James (OB Historical Society), Suzi More (Friends of the Library President), Steve Heverly (OB Town Council) and others were passionate and informative.
The OB People's Food Co-Op showed its solidarity with the cause by closing the co-op's doors for one hour during the protest. Petitions were passed around, for people to express opposition to the library's closure and another for individuals to volunteer as workers for the branch. And then, the assembled crowd of about 150 citizens began a short march from the library down Newport Avenue, to the Ocean Beach pier.
I wish we had marched in the street and not on the sidewalk, but our route did allow for plenty of interaction with the many small business owners and startled tourists along Newport. And Jane and I weren't the biggest fans of the prepared chant - "We Are Hopin' / To Keep the Doors Open". Catchy, though (I'm not sure if my idea, "Books / Not Crooks", would have been any better). But it was uplifting to see people turn out and show support for our struggling little library branch.
There will be a Strategy Meeting this Tuesday, Nov. 18th, at 7 PM (see the OB Rag for details), and the City Council Hearing for the budget takes place Wednesday, Nov. 19th, from 2 - 5 PM. Car pooling will be available to the hearing from the O.B. Library.
And, of course, Ocean Beach isn't the only neighborhood being impacted by these cuts. Time to make some more signs.
A much smaller but equally passionate protest took place a few blocks from our home, as residents and community leaders of Ocean Beach rallied in front of the O.B. library branch. Jane and I went down to take part, and were quickly handed signs to wave at passing motorists (unfortunately, Jane's was heartfelt but misspelled - "San Deigo [sic], America's Dumbest City"). The honks from passing motorists were constant, and the speeches given by Frank Gormile (editor of the local and excellent OB Rag Blog), Pat James (OB Historical Society), Suzi More (Friends of the Library President), Steve Heverly (OB Town Council) and others were passionate and informative.
The OB People's Food Co-Op showed its solidarity with the cause by closing the co-op's doors for one hour during the protest. Petitions were passed around, for people to express opposition to the library's closure and another for individuals to volunteer as workers for the branch. And then, the assembled crowd of about 150 citizens began a short march from the library down Newport Avenue, to the Ocean Beach pier.
I wish we had marched in the street and not on the sidewalk, but our route did allow for plenty of interaction with the many small business owners and startled tourists along Newport. And Jane and I weren't the biggest fans of the prepared chant - "We Are Hopin' / To Keep the Doors Open". Catchy, though (I'm not sure if my idea, "Books / Not Crooks", would have been any better). But it was uplifting to see people turn out and show support for our struggling little library branch.
There will be a Strategy Meeting this Tuesday, Nov. 18th, at 7 PM (see the OB Rag for details), and the City Council Hearing for the budget takes place Wednesday, Nov. 19th, from 2 - 5 PM. Car pooling will be available to the hearing from the O.B. Library.
And, of course, Ocean Beach isn't the only neighborhood being impacted by these cuts. Time to make some more signs.
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2 comments:
Glad to participate in ANY activism that day - even if my sign was misspelled.
Hey! I think I ended up carrying one of your signs on the way back up Newport!
Hope you can make it to the meeting tonight.
Peace,
Patty
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