Welcome to New York
When I heard that Donald Trump was coming to New York for the first time since he was inaugurated, I knew I needed to find a protest to join. New York has been begrudgingly dealing with its native son far before he was forced upon the rest of the country, and it brings me a small bit of joy to know that he's despised—and lost bigly—in his beloved hometown.
I haven't joined a protest in a while (since the Immigration and Women's Marches), and it was long overdue. I'm afraid that people are already becoming complacent and I can't say I blame them—it's impossible to sustain a high level of constant rage without it ruining your life. It's silly to admit, but I recently started watching The Handmaid's Tale (along with everyone else) and the back story has been terrifying in a way that I didn't expect it to be—it's all too similar to what I see happening in real life and it reignited my sense of urgency to speak up before it's too late.
I don't think that the guy in the Trump mask (teeing off with Planet Earth) and the guy dressed as Melania knew each other, but it's fitting that they met in New York. A bright spot of these protests is all of the creativity that is on display, and I get overwhelmed at how awesome people can be when they unite around a common theme.
I was actually a little disappointed in the size of the crowd—it should have been much larger. Trump was speaking at the Intrepid, which is on the far west side, and then scurrying away to New Jersey where he'll spend the night at one of his resorts. Maybe it was too far out of the way or too chilly or maybe it was the last minute change in schedule (he arrived three hours late) but I wish the entire city had shown up to show Trump just how (un)welcome he is in New York.
When it comes to Trump and his administration, there are literally endless things to protest, but most of the signs and messages were New York or healthcare-specific. Sure, these protests don't accomplish much in the immediate sense, but they definitely make it clear to me that New York is my city and these are my people.
New Yorkers have the stereotype of being cold and uncaring, but the people I met were so nice, supportive and thoughtful. I can't say the same of the small number of smug and enthusiastic Trump supporters (how do these people still exist) who were hurling insults at us from underneath bullet-proof vests and Make America Great Again hats. America is already great, and look no further than to a bunch of New Yorkers for proof.
