immigration bill protesters
I had the unique pleasure of witnessing two immigration bill protests today. From my office window in Oakland I watched as thousands of protesters marched through the streets, waving American flags and chanting, “USA” and “Si, se puede.” Then when I exited the BART at 16th and Mission, I was greeted by a standing-room-only gathering. Thousands of people had gathered to make their voices heard.
As I walked through the grid-locked streets of the Mission (Muni was all but rendered useless by the protester-packed streets), I found myself deeply moved. Every time I passed someone of the street or in a car waving their American Flag, a lump welled up in my throat. There is something profoundly moving about people standing up for their rights, participating in their government, exercising their First Amendment right to assemble.
