Morning, Threaders, Threadheads, and all in between. More coffee needed.
Back to the future…
It’s been a few months since January 20. A young protester takes to his paper notebook and writes how it’s going. Maybe someone will find his words, one day…This is a future string.
Day 35.
We’re still here. I stopped using the phone to write my notes when the solar powered generators went down. Back to paper. There was around a million people here on day one. It was a scheduled demonstration. The National Mall was chosen for its unique history and significance. It was a great day. Few were aware of what was planned next. There were speakers who encouraged us to fight from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
One of them, a Senator of all people, introduced a young woman from one of the resistance groups that have been working to mobilize us. I think from Indivisible or Action Network or something like that. She said those of us who wished to stay on site should do that and explained how several groups at the Mall were ready with support stations, generators, supplies and medical assistance. These groups had blue arm bands. I watched two guys by me putting them on when she said that.
Looked like we were here to stay. As the speeches went on some people left. At the end of the day, as the demonstration turned to a sit in, it was obvious a lot of us decided to join. There wasn’t any police containment; people were free to come and go. Many came back later, better prepared to stay. The initial plan was to rotate and allow people to go out and take a shower, eat better, rest, return. That didn’t last long.
Back to the future…
It’s been a few months since January 20. A young protester takes to his paper notebook and writes how it’s going. Maybe someone will find his words, one day…This is a future string.
Day 35.
We’re still here. I stopped using the phone to write my notes when the solar powered generators went down. Back to paper. There was around a million people here on day one. It was a scheduled demonstration. The National Mall was chosen for its unique history and significance. It was a great day. Few were aware of what was planned next. There were speakers who encouraged us to fight from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
One of them, a Senator of all people, introduced a young woman from one of the resistance groups that have been working to mobilize us. I think from Indivisible or Action Network or something like that. She said those of us who wished to stay on site should do that and explained how several groups at the Mall were ready with support stations, generators, supplies and medical assistance. These groups had blue arm bands. I watched two guys by me putting them on when she said that.
Looked like we were here to stay. As the speeches went on some people left. At the end of the day, as the demonstration turned to a sit in, it was obvious a lot of us decided to join. There wasn’t any police containment; people were free to come and go. Many came back later, better prepared to stay. The initial plan was to rotate and allow people to go out and take a shower, eat better, rest, return. That didn’t last long.
I think by day 5 we were boxed in by the National Guard. Our supply groups were no longer allowed in. Drones started doing that. It took the police a couple of weeks to start interfering with them but some still made it through. We heard some representatives and senators were sitting in inside Congress but Capitol Police eventually ended it. Around day 20 we lost communication with the outside. No signal on the phones. We rely on radio communications since, but they’re jamming it too.
It’s been hard to know what’s going on. There must still be like 50,000 of us left. It’s hard to say. I haven’t showered in a couple of weeks and people have been using the reflecting pool as bathroom for a while now. There are some police and military among the blue bands. They organize the so called defense. It worked okay when the riot police tried to disperse us before we were boxed in by the military. Since then it’s been quiet. They are waiting us out.
There’s talk of a large demonstration supposed to come join us but I don’t know how they will get past the military. I know they were arresting judges the day before we got here. A few representatives supportive of Palestine were arrested on antisemitism charges too and we had to push out some people who mistook this as a free Palestine demonstration and showed up with Hamas head bands, burning American flags. We’re here to save our country not burn it down.
It’s been hard to know what’s going on. There must still be like 50,000 of us left. It’s hard to say. I haven’t showered in a couple of weeks and people have been using the reflecting pool as bathroom for a while now. There are some police and military among the blue bands. They organize the so called defense. It worked okay when the riot police tried to disperse us before we were boxed in by the military. Since then it’s been quiet. They are waiting us out.
There’s talk of a large demonstration supposed to come join us but I don’t know how they will get past the military. I know they were arresting judges the day before we got here. A few representatives supportive of Palestine were arrested on antisemitism charges too and we had to push out some people who mistook this as a free Palestine demonstration and showed up with Hamas head bands, burning American flags. We’re here to save our country not burn it down.
They also started trouble with the riot police and it got real bad. Like they needed encouragement. That was around day three, I think. The fascists are using them as an excuse to arrest everyone else as the Congress people found out. I knew having fascists pretending to be against antisemitism wasn’t a good idea. They’re gone now, the keffiyeh crowd. The House tried to shut down government again; we got that on the radio. NPR and local stations still get through.
It feels so strange to listen to them. The news are heavily edited and biased and the commercial breaks sound more fantastic than ever. I guess people are still using Ozempic. It’s just wild! More than once fighter jets flew over us, real low. That started a week ago. I think they want us to believe there’s a civil war going on. Today, for the first time, a military helicopter flew by and hovered above us. They’re trying to intimidate us.
The basic supply of water and canned food the city is still bringing in may soon stop. We rely on basic humanity to survive here, especially since our own supply chain broke down. We’ll know it got serious when that stops. I guess we’ll involuntarily hunger strike. EMS still has access. A lot of people have been evacuated for health reasons since the beginning. The medics with blue bands do a great job but can’t deal with a heart attack or a severe wound.
The initial clashes with the riot police were bad. Lots of wounded. There’s talk of deaths but I don’t know. I haven’t witnessed any. On day one there were children, people on wheel chairs. Pets… They moved out very early. I am 21 years old and my feet are killing me after running around like crazy and my eyes are still burning from the tear gassing. No one shot at us yet. We’re a pretty tight bunch; resilient; but I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up without support.
I can’t go over our list of demands anymore. I should have written them down on this notebook. I have them in my dead phone. I remember reinstating the IG’s, removing the AG and the FBI director… Dismantling the DOGE crap. Respecting the courts… Shit like that. It was a long list. Too long if you ask me. Whatever. Too much shit going on; the list was going to be long, anyway.
They must have closed the air space above us. The news helicopters are long gone. News crews have also been cut off when the military replaced the police and the few remaining among us are basically keeping record. Nothing goes in or out. The Guard takes care of the basic supplies and EMS is escorted by them too. I wonder if they managed to get some news out. I haven’t seen any of our drones in a long while. We’re on our own. We always were.
There’s this old guy I usually sit with. He’s an Iraq war veteran. He looks bad. I tried to convince him to let EMS take a look at him but he refused. Our medics keep an eye on him when they can. He has a strange look on his face and sometimes he stares into the distance. The beauty of this place is awe inspiring. As much as the beauty of the people around me. Even the suffering has this strange beauty about it. The old man is staring into the void again. He’s right here.
Last night I dreamed paratroooers broke through the Guard perimeter and brought us food and water. They had inverted US flag patches on their arms. One of them knelt by me and said: “101st Airborne. We’re here to rescue you.” My dad made me watch Band of Brothers too many times. Hold on. (…)
The Guard is putting on gas masks. I’ll see you on the other side. Remember us.
Resist & Oppose!
