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.
Here are my photos from Media, PA, the county seat of Delaware County in the western suburbs of Philly. I thought there were about 1000 people right around the courthouse when I got there at 11:30 (rally was scheduled to start at noon). By the time it started, the speakers said it was extending for 3-4 blocks, so perhaps somewhere north of 3000 people.
Better photos and description here at the Delco Times, Opening sentence of that article, “Thousands gathered Saturday…”
It was a peaceful, nonviolent (but angry as we all are angry) crowd. The only friction with the police was that as the courthouse square filled up, people were spilling onto and blocking the street. But after pleas from the speakers’ podium, that was settled quickly and they thanked the police at the end.
I had the impulse to get a small flag which I incorporated into my sign (it looks like it was written by an un-artistic 5-year-old, so I’m not showing it). My message was “My country has NO KINGS”. Many people had brought and were waving flags, and the rally opened with the Star-Spangled Banner and a Pledge of Allegiance.
There was a light mist falling so you see umbrellas and raincoats in some of the shots.
I took the train three stops west from Swarthmore to Media. This was the view across the platform of the people waiting to go east to Philly. I lost count at 80 but I figured there were something like 100 people waiting to go downtown, just at this one stop on this one train. We had just 6 people on our side of the platform, but again this was just one stop on one train. As I said, there were thousands at the courthouse in Media.
I liked this guy’s science-based sign, just in front of me, particularly “Mad Scientist” and “Evidence-Based Outrage”.
Though I was very close to the speakers, I was off to the side and they were hidden from me by the big pillars in front of the courthouse. The main speaker was our fantastic Congresswoman, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05). See the Delco Times article for pictures and excerpts of her speech.
This was the only glimpse I got of Rep. Scanlon, after her speech. She’s the blonde lady in facing the camera. This pic also gives some feeling for the crowd.
Indivisible, who organized the rally, had a tent where they were creating this art project. The stripes on the flag are made of handprints of people attending the rally.
Not mine. I looked at the long line at the wash-up station outside the tent and decided they had enough hands already and I’d rather get in position.
My crowd shot. This was looking behind me, and you can see how the crowd extends back for blocks.
See the article I linked for more shots of this rally, including our lone heckler. I didn’t even hear him, I only became aware of him when the attention of parts of the crowd were momentarily distracted, till the speaker urged us to ignore him and get back to the rally.
I’m proud to have been a part of this day.
Old School
Three cheers for everyone who tuned out!
Baud
@Old School:
+1 typo.
Old School
@Baud: Sorry, “jeers”.
BlueGuitarist
Excellent. Thanks.
I mentioned downstairs that I liked “Evidence Based Outrage”
WaterGirl
Our people are smart and clever. Their people are… not.
Mad Scientist
Evidence-Based Outrage
JaySinWa
@Baud: What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.)
Hey, the Swarthmore train station! I spent a lot of aimless hours with my friends hanging around there growing up.