On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Great footage from Philadelphia (link from bbleh)
And from Alexandria, VA video (link from Another Scott)
Looking West from the State Capitol. Spire in the distance is the City and County of Denver building.
Looking back towards the Capitol from the C&C bldg.
The trees are doing a fine job of blocking the crowd. Largest crowd I’ve seen so far. Well behaved and a pretty diverse bunch.
From Another Scott – Alexandria VA
A very nice turnout in Alexandria VA today. There must have been close to 1000 people from my uncalibrated eyes. The volunteer organizers had one underpowered speaker, but there was a huge, powerful energy in spite of that.
from William Dudley: “bigger turnout than I expected”
from Rusty:
These are from the rally at the statehouse of New Hampshire. The rally was combined with a LGBTQ+ pride rally, so it was named “No Kings, Yaaas Queens!!” Great speakers from the trans community and their allies, immigrant organizations and several Democratic elected leaders.
I’m pissed off the right is co-opting the flag for their very un-American activities.
same person, waiting on a nym.
same person, waiting on a nym.
Munira
The biggest protest crowd I’ve ever seen in Bellingham.
Omnes Omnibus
Madison.
Look closely at the umbrella.
Trivia Man
@Omnes Omnibus: and a lovely, giant lady liberty piece i saw close to the capitol building
BC in Illinois
I don’t have pics, but the No Kings rally and march in downtown St Louis was PHENOMENAL !!!
Two chant related anecdotes.
1. The last time there was a St Louis County anti-Trump event, I noted that there were two varieties of a standard chant.
Variety One: HEY, HEY, HO, HO, DONald TRUMP has GOT to GO. (very white-bread)
Variety Two: Hey-HEY __ Ho-HO __ DONald TRUMP hs’GOT t’GO. (with a beat)
Well, today, when the march of 1500 people started, someone in leadership, with a bull horn, started chant #1. By the third repetition, the crowd had shifted it to chant #2. Which is only right.
2. Later in the march, we passed by a line of cars, stuck in a one-lane side street. These people were not going to move for the next twenty minutes or so.
And the guy in front leaned on his horn:
Honk-HONK, ___ Honk-HONK, ___ HONK ha’HONK ha’HONK ha’ HONK.
He joined in the Donald Trump chant. Which was only right. He got a lot of cheers.
Nukular Biskits
Too late to send you some of mine from Gulfport?
WaterGirl
@Nukular Biskits: No, not too late.
WaterGirl
Pics were coming in fast and furious, and I added 8 more pics to this one before realizing I had already posted it earlier! So a couple of pics will get a repeat, which doesn’t bother me at all.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Omnes Omnibus:
I saw several signs yesterday in Denver using that exact same Henry VIII graphic.
suzanne
Spawn the Youngest, who just finished kindergarten, wanted to make a sign. So I gave her one of my extra pieces of poster board. She wrote “GET THUNDER ZAPPED, DONALD TRUMP”. (As best as she can, missing some letters, wrote the D backward.)
I laughed so hard.
BC in Illinois
One further note.
Now that the Pretender Trump has celebrated the 250th birthday of the U, S. Army, what will he do on October 13, 2025 to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U. S. Navy?
I don’t know if the Potomac can handle it.
Can an aircraft carrier make it under the 14th Street Bridge?
+ + +
BC, USN HM2, 1969-1973 (When DT was dealing with bone spurs.)
(I served without distinction. Never left Bethesda, Maryland.)
comrade scotts agenda of rage
At the start of yesterday’s festivities in Denver, there was a Native American group who managed to drown out the incessant, single-issue bullhorn person (who’s at every damned rally attempting to drown out everybody else) with their chants and dances as a reminder that the rest of us are immigrants.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@BC in Illinois:
This one can no problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sdML5oeQnk&t=12s
He would probably have the entire US carrier fleet in one spot!
Professor Bigfoot
I thought the opposite of “doomscrolling” was “joyscrolling,” but that ain’t quite right.
All of these photos spawn HOPE.
Y’all got me up this morning hopescrolling, and it’s giving me both hope AND joy.
Git it, you ornery-ass Americans!✊🏾
Professor Bigfoot
@suzanne:
You are clearly raising this one right. 😂✊🏾
Spanky
@BC in Illinois: On a quick check, the USS Ronald Reagan needs 41′ under the keel. The Potomac channel is in the 30 foot range from at least Indian Head, and I’m certain much further downstream.
So, naaaah.
Anyway
My sign was on an Amazon box and inspired by BJer “Nonni”
WaterGirl
@suzanne: I think we need a pic of that one to rotate into the protest sign area in the sidebar.
Professor Bigfoot
@WaterGirl: SECONDED!!! (and thirded and fourthed, too!)
Another Scott
@BC in Illinois: Heh. :-)
But seriously, I recently learned that the 16″ guns on the famous WWII battlewagons were made in DC at the Washington Navy Yard. The Navy still has several facilities on the Potomac, but AFAIK, none of the big ships can go very far up it any more.
Let’s see… It looks like the federal channel on the Potomac allows a draft of 24 feet, while the draft of a Ford-class carrier is 39 feet, from a couple of quick Googles.
No carriers on the Potomac!
:-)
Thanks.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Another Scott
@Spanky: Ah, I’m late again.
:-)
Thanks.
Best wishes,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: Yes, but you provided more detail so we’re glad to have both.
Tony Jay
“Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions” isn’t exactly E pluribus unum, but Donny Le Douche did so want his Manly Man Parade.
WaterGirl
If you haven’t watched the YouTubes from up top, I recommend that you do. They are both really inspirational.
WaterGirl
@Tony Jay:
Our newest addition to our rotating tags.
Thank you for that.
bbleh
Philly footage was me, via activist chat group.
WereBear
@BC in Illinois: Ah, that is what the young people were saying:
Good to know, I wasn’t sure. But a teen on a bike gave me a “rock and roll!” and there was positive response across the many ages in town.
We are small town cultural New England. The tiniest town has a cared for town beach, communal food pantry, and other examples of the “commons.”
Ours has free concerts in the summer. But Trump threatens tourism. But still, my town the only one with an official No Kings protest, in an hour radius. One big town in either direction, and one of them had a protest.
Pretty good for a rural area.
WaterGirl
@Tony Jay:
“Wherever you go, there you are.”
He will never be able to outrun himself and the destruction and humiliation left in his wake.
WaterGirl
@bbleh: Updated, thank you!
WereBear
@suzanne: I think it’s great and more people should use it.
Raoul Paste
I had to laugh at one of the signs within Jay’s link in the last thread:
” JD Vance puts his cast-iron skillet in the dishwasher”
WereBear
Drown government in the bathtub?
Discuss.
scav
Wonder if his handlers get time and a half or combat pay for the hella day they should be scrambling through right now and presumably all last night. If they were counting on a post-parade blissful lull . . . .
Betty Cracker
I was mildly and internally resistant to pressure to carry American flags at the protests. I get the rationale — reclaiming patriotism from the right blah blah blah — but it irked me like it did when Barack Obama was pressured to wear a flag lapel pin during the 2008 campaign, like the onus was on him to prove he’s a patriot, you know?
Well, I was wrong. All the flags really did seem to shift the vibe at the protest I attended. As an added bonus, the few MAGA malcontents who inserted themselves into the event faded into the background.
WereBear
@Tony Jay: Tonight’s Tantrum, brought to you by…
TONYG
Doing this in many small locations as well as in the big cities was a great idea. I live in New Jersey about ten miles away from New York City, but I opted to attend a rally in a small suburban town instead of schlepping to the city. It was a decent-size rally; a few hundred people plus some very bored cops with nothing to do. In contrast, Trump was like a lonely old man hiding in DC with his sparsely attended military parade. The contrast made it clear who exactly is the out-of-touch autocrat.
Another Scott
@bbleh: [ big ] 👍 [ /big ]
Thanks.
Best wishes,
Scott.
TONYG
@Betty Cracker: I’m old enough to remember the MC5 reclaiming the American Flag long ago … Wayne-Kramer-mc5-billboard-1548.jpg
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker:
I like to see that!
Another Scott
@TONYG: Interesting. My mother may have had the same model sewing machine.
[ rofl ]
Thanks.
Best wishes,
Scott.
different-church-lady
Try to imagine these protests happening while Biden was president: 98% of his own party would be calling for him to resign immediately.
different-church-lady
@BC in Illinois: He’ll do nothing, because it’s not his birthday.
Burrowing Owl
@Raoul Paste: I didn’t get a picture, but I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said
Donald Trump skis in jeans
lowtechcyclist
@Another Scott:
Thanks for the Market Square pix! I was hoping to get there yesterday – I had what I thought was just a morning commitment, but it was 4:15pm when we got back to the house after returning the truck, and home is ~40 minutes SE of the Wilson Bridge if traffic is good. Glad to see the place was packed!
lowtechcyclist
@Raoul Paste:
Brilliant!
Hoodie
@TONYG: The organizers seemed to be channelling a main part of the 3.5 % theory, i. e., make the movement broad based. “No Kings” was a good rhetorical choice because it has American historical roots and speaks across a lot of factions. It was also encouraging to see what appeared to be a general lack of enthusiasm among the troops in Trump’s little birthday party.
schrodingers_cat
@different-church-lady: Democrats ran him out for much less, for being human with frailties, having a cold and walking with a stiff gait.
WaterGirl
Encouraging to see all the participation yesterday and the enthusiasm it’s generating. It’s a refreshing change from rehashing the same grievances over and over.
different-church-lady
@WaterGirl: Hint taken.
zhena gogolia
@different-church-lady: You are absolutely right.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: Why is this the one TABOO topic on Balloon Juice?
O. Felix Culpa
@zhena gogolia: Excellent question.
Jackie
@zhena gogolia: It’s not taboo, but not encouraged for the No Kings shared photos and experiences?
I noticed these aren’t marked as Open threads.
O. Felix Culpa
@Jackie: Oh, it’s taboo. Commenters get chided for talking about it on open threads too. You know, look forward not back, which applies to this one particular topic but not to any others.
Back to the topic at hand, I’m delighted with the turnout across the country, in big towns and small. Very encouraging.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Taboo? Who said it was taboo?
It’s been talked about every single day on Balloon Juice since ONE YEAR AGO in July.
Personally, I find it tiresome because we can’t go back in time and change anything. We are in a fight for our lives and I personally can’t spare the energy to focus on that when there’s so much work to be done.
I would bet you my house that I am as enraged about Biden’s treatment as it’s possible to be – without spontaneously combusting – but we’re in a war for democracy in the US, and I don’t think we can afford the luxury of being able to pick that scab.
To me, it would feel like dwelling on all the shitty things my -ex did to me, after we are broken up. It doesn’t change anything, it just sucks me into a bad place, time to move on and make something better.
That’s how I feel; that’s why I personally find it tiresome. Particularly when we have something to celebrate, even if just for a day or two.
WaterGirl
@Jackie: They aren’t open threads because the pics and posts are coming in so fast it’s all I can do to keep up with pulling together the one-sies and two-sies and posting the ones that are coming in using the form.
I just haven’t had time for the niceties of adding categories or adding “protest signs” as a description so the pics can be easily found later. I’ll do that once everything is posted. Pictures are meant to be seen!
O. Felix Culpa
@WaterGirl: It becomes effectively taboo when FPers such as yourself come swooping in to chide those who bring it up, or tone police the way in which they say it. We’re often told that if we don’t like a topic or find it tiresome, then just scroll on down. Perhaps this has broader application?
Two additional points: (1) we are in this crisis because of 2024 and the defenestration of Biden, so it’s not irrelevant. And (2), we can multi-task, namely remember who and what helped get us here AND fight the fash AND celebrate the awesome turnout yesterday. I appreciate the photographs from all over the country.
different-church-lady
Despite my reference to Democrats, my comment was really meant to highlight the asymmetry of this war: Republicans get to prop up a fascist despite actual pushback from the populace. It’s utterly impossible to image a Democratic president surviving the same thing.
I didn’t intend it to encourage yet another airing of grievances.
Ruckus
@BC in Illinois:
USN IC2, 70-73, sailed from Antartica to the northern tip of Norway, Cuba/Gitmo 3 times, saw/visited most of the Mediterranean countries, crossed the Atlantic and back 3 times.
My thought on your question is that unless someone tells him, he might not have even a concept of what a navy is. Not at his senility level. Which is no one home. And if they did tell him, do you really think he’d get the concept of humanity, all things considered? (selfish to the nth degree, in his world, which rotates around the gigantic stick up his butt, he’s numeral uno (look at who he compares himself to – himself) and yet, he gets the support of a not insignificant percentage of his subjects. And yes, I’m betting good money he sees himself as king of this country. He’s never been all that bright. I also imagine that if he watches the news he’ll think all of this is about him being worshipped by millions. That is a huge stick up there……
Jackie
@WaterGirl: I’m more than fine with these posts not being open. It’s a breath of fresh air for a day or two!
WaterGirl
@O. Felix Culpa:
Show me in this thread, please, where I chided anyone or suggested that the subject was taboo.
Surely you can’t be referring to this as tone policing:
Ruckus
@Spanky:
Even if it were deep enough it wouldn’t fit under any bridge. I was part of the refueling crew, in charge of forward refueling and the ship refueled from aircraft carriers on more than one occasion. The main deck of the carrier Enterprise was higher than the mast light on the DDG I was stationed on. And I should know, my department had equipment on the ends of the yardarm which was about 10-12 feet from the very top of the mast. (Not a mast for a sail, just for navigation lights and some of the equipment I was responsible for) Good times working on that equipment….
O. Felix Culpa
@WaterGirl: I have described the repeated behavior that leads to the inference that the subject is taboo, when other potentially annoying comments do not get the same treatment. It doesn’t need to be explicitly stated, as you well know. I’m not the only person who has noticed this, which you also know.
Anyway, I’m all for celebrating yesterday’s demonstrations and rallies. They were awesome.
WaterGirl
@Jackie: Actually, as I think about it… if you make a post from scratch and don’t set a category, it automatically assigns Open Threads.
The ones that were submitted through the OTR form are automatically assigned Photo blogging and On the Road.
I simply wasn’t paying attention to categories at all. :-)
Rusty
WG, thank you for collecting and posting all these great pictures. It’s soul repairing.
WaterGirl
@O. Felix Culpa: I misunderstood.
I thought the “Taboo” comment and your reply were in response to my pretty anodyne, positive comment. Glad to know they weren’t.
O. Felix Culpa
@WaterGirl: Not exactly, but I’m moving on. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
Gloria DryGarden
@suzanne: this is beautiful. She has the efficiency of a pot, and has capture the fantasies of so many. I hope you will send in a photo; I want this one for my wall.