A beautiful day in so many ways here, some real spring weather at last, a festive family-friendly atmosphere, great speakers, music and dancers all combined to protest the corporatocracy's contamination of our food supply. The actual march was sandwiched between before and after rallies on the Capitol lawn. So I started snapping my favorite signs as we gathered.
more awesome signs and impressions below the fold
He's holding it, but she made it :-)
2 sided signs allow for 2 photographers at once
These cute little pollinators lured me in for a free bumpersticker "Give bees a chance!"
only appropriate that one of last year's villain costumes was recycled
Patricia Shepard of Idle No More leading the invocation
I did not try to photograph every speaker and performer, but here is the list from the event page
Speakers:
Diane Wilson – Dream of Wild Health
La Donna Redmond – Campaign for Food Justice Now
Jim Riddle – Right to Know Minnesota
Tracy Sides – Bravely Be / Urban Oasis Hub
Patricia Shepard – Idle No More
Constance Peruski – COVVHA (Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance)
Marcus Mayo – Workers International League
Sam Wagner – Occupy MN
Ricardo Levins Morales – Artist and activist
Maria Cisneros
Paul Karlson – Move to Amend
Artists:
Hoka Hey Drum Group
Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli & Mexica Yolotl Mexican Aztec dance groups
Iná-Yukka
Peter Lang
Lifted Mindz
Gabe Barnett & The Big House Rounders
Divine Islam
Tall Paul
Los Nativos
Tou Saiko Lee
Tables:
Organic Consumers Association | www.facebook.com/organicconsumers
Right to Know Minnesota | www.facebook.com/RightToKnowMN
Bee Against Monsanto | www.facebook.com/BeeAgainstMonsanto
Organic Compound | www.facebook.com/organiccompoundmn
Women's Environmental Institute | www.facebook.com/WomensEnvironmentalInstitute
Workers' International League - Minneapolis | www.facebook.com/MNWIL
Common Ground Movement (Minnesota) | www.facebook.com/groups/cgmminneapolis
Compassionate Action for Animals | www.facebook.com/exploreveg
Green Party of MN | www.facebook.com/MnGreens
Move To Amend | www.facebook.com/Move2Amend
MN Norml | www.facebook.com/mnNORML
Witness for Peace | www.facebook.com/WFPeace
Since I wanted to take lots of pics, I did not have a sign to carry, but compromised with an apron-sign
and here is Heather, the nice woman who took that photo for me, with her own clever sign
a group chilling on the lawn before the march
La Donna Redmond encouraged sign carriers to give her a colorful backdrop for her fiery speech linking this protest to a broader justice movement. I can't spot her in this photo, but we definitely heard her!
Aztec dancers getting organized to lead the march
heading for downtown, in front of me
and behind me
In addition to their own dances, Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli & Mexica Yolotl Mexican led us in chants of "Hell No GMO"
this sign highlights the lack of thorough testing of GMOs
one of the better uses of profanity :-)
more artistic than most
educational
crowd shot, I especially "Resistance is Fertile" carried by the man who is also carrying his child
back to the Capitol
more speakers and music after the march, Sam Wagner of OccupyMN also invited sign carriers up while he made the case against Monsanto, I like the one on his left.
We may have had a few more people last year, hard to say from my photos, but this was a big march for the Twin Cities. The RNC protest in 2008 is the only one I've been to that was bigger than these.
I chose Grow Your Own Resistance for the title because that is a follow up action most of us can do. I live in a townhome and have no yard of my own, but I have some organic herbs and veggies on my deck and my biggest container this year is devoted to wildflowers , free of neonicotinoids, for the pollinators.
1:09 PM PT: head count estimate 1800; meanwhile WCCO reports "dozens" showed up, wonder who is paying them to say that?