Arrival

An overcast sky lends to perfect exposure, wind enough to lift paper off tables but not quite notice the tickle on skin. Hugs and handshakes between comrades old and new, tap, tap, tapping, learning each other's beat.

Bakersfield Aztec Dancers from Ollican Yolotl performed sacred movement & stayed in solidarity for the entire day of action.

Ollican Yolotl

Small Spring of Living Water flows, a sacred dance to the rhythm of an ancient boom, rain making over generations of ankles.

Rally & Prepare

March

Protest

About half a dozen MAGA supporters counter-protesting the Bernie & AOC rally.
"...the principal producers and defenders of racist ideas will not join us. And no logic or fact or history book can change them, because logic and facts and scholarship have little to do with why they are expressing racist ideas in the first place."- Ibram X. Kendi Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.
A Bernie & AOC rally attendee looking back toward the protest for Palestinian liberation across the street.
"Being apolitical in times of genocide is a political position—it’s the position of the colonizer." — Remi Kanazi, Palestinian-American poet
This is Bruce. He wanted to talk to folks who "call it what it is." Be like Bruce.
"It is genocide. Call it what it is. Call it by its name. The same thing in Vietnam was genocide."- Bruce West, Author and Vietnam War Vet

Her name is Disruption.

Crossing intentionally constructed, oppressive borders, meant to divide. Some wave away their dissonance. Others answer the call to action "Join us! March back!" United we cannot be defeated.

As the Bernie & AOC rally concludes, onlookers cross to get to their cars, take photos, and several join the march.

"I saw the Palestine protest and I was asked to join. I wanted to go because it's something I strongly support. It was really touching to hear all the speeches I got to hear today. I think my eyes are more open... the trust we can put is in each other because all these politicians, they're still at the top." - Jay, Fresno County

March Back

Marching back, we multiplied.

Storytelling. Education. Action. Community. Hope.

Storytelling, education, action, hope, community... This is where our power lies.

"I am tired of being just a spectator in the atrocities that we take a hand in... even though the people that are currently being oppressed aren't necessarily my direct family, they are still all brothers and sisters. We don't want anyone necessarily compromising themselves. We don't want anyone in danger. We're not asking anyone to be arrested. It's a scale of what can be done really, because we all have different statuses, we all have different abilities.Sharing things online, talking to your friends and family about it, even boycotting the brands that are complicit, that is just as important and crucial to the movement as being out in the forefront and protesting. And even just community building itself, because ultimately that's what's going to get us through- the people that are next to us, our community, our friends and family, our neighbors, because the fight for Palestine is the fight for all of us here too. So the community building aspect of it, if you want to help your neighbors, if you need to stay home, but another friend wants to go and they need childcare, maybe let their kid come over to your house and entertain them while their parents are out of the protest." Lorena, ULFP
What will you tell the future you did when our world was on fire?


Visual Story by Mars Santos.