I have never been a political creature, but something happened to me this week. I can’t remember ever going to protest. Maybe that’s just my aging brain forgetting. When “No Kings Day” popped up in the news and started getting publicity and hateful comments from Republican leaders, the movement caught my attention. It’s “I Hate America Day,” they claimed. Nonsense. We love America and its representative democracy.
Newsflash: No, Republican leaders. We are not Hamas supporters, terrorists or crazy left-wing criminals. We are people who love our country. We don’t want the nation to fail. Our fathers and grandfathers fought against fascism in World War II. Why would we want to see the US travel down that road?
Watching the publicity about the alleged “war-ravaged Portland, Oregon,” the deployment of military and National Guard troops to “blue” cities, the cruel and inhuman acts of ICE, what looks like the rise of fascism, and the ridiculous statements made by prominent Republicans, made my blood boil. Their hatred is what compelled me to protest from across the pond.
In Brussels, there were Democrats, independent voters, tourists, European citizens and even some Republicans protesting. We stood across from the American embassy with our American flags held high, singing protest songs and holdings signs for “No Kings Day.” (We have a king here, so it was more of a “No Tyrants Day.”)
The crowd was small, but enthusiastic, and creative.One participant wore a giant paper mache pumpkin head topped off with a red MAGA hat. Originally made to depict Angela Merkel head for an event, he painted the face orange and added the hat, creating a Trumpian masterpiece.
“Take our democracy back right now,” we chanted. Cars driving past protesters honked their horns in solidarity, and we waved back, signs held high. The homemade signs expressed our feelings about what is going on in the use. They included:
- We the People
- Love and Defend Our Constitution
- No Kings in the USA
- We the People Stand Against Fascism and Tyranny
- Hands Off Our Democracy
- No Tyrants
- Love Not Hate
- Stop Trump MAGA Coup
- Say No to Fascism
- When the Rule of Law Ends, Tyranny Begins
- Anti-Anti-Fascists Are Fascists
- All This Is Not Normal
- Radicalized By Basic Human Decency
- This Madness Ends When We All Rise Up
- Deny ICE, Defend Immigrants, Depose Trump
Meanwhile, on the Other Side of the Pond
On October 1, the US government closed for business. The shutdown is the third longest in US history, and there is no end in sight. Hundreds of thousands of people are being affected, including friends and family members. There isn’t extensive news coverage on it here, so it’s hard to truly understand the impact on people the average American. It looks horrifying, though. I am not surprised millions of people are speaking up.
Jobs have been lost, agencies are shuttered and cutting off services, and even the simplest things have become an issue. People are losing benefits that affect their health and well-being. These are the kinds of things that drive us to protest.
Polarization
From our side of the pond, we just see hate and polarization. Republicans vs. Democrats, who don’t want to work together or compromise. An administration that should be unifying people is dividing them.
No, things aren’t perfect here in Europe, but we have more options. Belgium has 18 different political parties; The Netherlands has 49. Trying to explain a two-party system to my friends here is a challenge. They are watching in amazement as American democracy seems to be slipping away.
Something is Wrong
In the U.S., grocery bills and other expenses continue to climb. Already exorbitant health care costs are about to skyrocket — another thing we don’t understand since we have universal health care. And when a sitting president posts an AI video of himself as a king in a fighter jet dropping waste on peaceful protesters, there is something wrong. Very, very wrong. Something needs to change.
As Americans, we need to find a way to turn things around, to bring people together. Let’s stop the hateful rhetoric. I am glad I trekked from the countryside into Brussels on Saturday to experience solidarity and a sense of hope for a brighter future. There are lots of people around the world praying for better days. I am one of them.
Bravo Deb!