(Note: This rally occurred on August 8th, 2016, in front of Cobo Hall, Downtown Detroit, on Washington Blvd. The establishing date at this video’s beginning is in error. My apologies.)
On August 8th, 2016, a crowd of well organized protestors gathered in front of Cobo Center (Hall) in downtown Detroit just before noon. While the UAW effectively made its presense known, by and large the protestors were everyday, regular folks from all walks of life, who had decided to take a stand against someone they view as unqualified in the extreme to be President of The United States. They came prepared with bullhorns and signs, some professionally made, others homemade. I was impressed with their sense of purpose. They also came prepared with a passion to protest against a Republican Presidential Candidate they firmly believe is a deadly detriment to the ideals and beliefs that the United States was founded on as well as the evolution of basic Human Rights that Trump finds so disdainful. It was a nice day, though a little warm as they stood across the Boulevard from a sizeable police contingent of Mounted Officers. There were also several officers on foot to prevent their setting foot inside Cobo Center, where fifteen hundred true believers waited to hear Donald J. Trump lay out specific details on how he plans to “Make America Great!” again (There are a great many people who believe the slogan “Make America Great Again” is a dog whistle code for white nationalism in the face of ever increasing diversification of America, and that is the crowd his message is playing to. This it is what I believe it means.)
The protestors took a stand. They expressed themselves in front of Cobo Center and before several camera crew crews from local media outlets as well as the occasional Independent, Freelance Media. It almost got ugly ,at one point, as I was threatened with arrest three times for failure to comply with officers request to stay on the sidewalk while shooting video (Which I thought was BS because other, un-credentialed media were standing in the street beside me. Yet, DPD singled me out to harangue. Had I been thinking, I would have raised my hands and started chanting, “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” as the officers approached me, but I couldn’t; I was holding a camera ).
Several protestors managed to gain access to the Hall where Trump was making his speech in front of a crowd that was overwhelmingly white, middle aged and receptive to his message. There was cheering, even. That’s when the protestors, who were all women of all ethnicities rose, stood on chairs, and began to speak (Some of the persons watching Trumps speech defined their actions as “disruptions”). They each asked Trump specific questions about his policies that he wasn’t prepared to answer. Each protestor was then physically removed from Cobo Hall. Some were “escorted” others firmly “removed” to catcalls, jeers, and ethnic slurs, (the N word, in particular) according to the protestors interviewed on video. I applaud their courage, in particular a former classmate, who lets her courage and activism speak for the voiceless.
There are several really good encounters in this video. A half dozen or so pro Trump supporters showed up to express themselves. They got right into the crowd, shouting Trump’s name and waving their signs. I applaud their courage. There were also a couple of really bizarre encounters with “Anti ” Hillary Clinton protestors as well. Listen particularly closely to the conspiracy theorists among them. I have no idea where they get their theories, but they seemed convinced that they’re true, and happening right beneath out noses. And only “they” know the truth, whatever it is.
I hope everyone enjoys this video, and please tell everyone you know to drop in and view it, as well the other video’s on this page. And please leave a comment.
Thank You,
Doug Merriman
Urban Edge Digital Media and Third Coast Films
urbanedgedigitalmedia.net
Urban Edge Digital Media 