A group that thinks that the Trump administration is a “threat to our democracy and values” will hold a major rally and march in Washington, D.C. later this month. There are dozens of solidarity marches planned for September 21st around the country and even in Europe and Mexico. In St. Petersburg, there will be a rally, voter registration drive and march. Joanne McCarthy is one of the St. Pete co-organizers of what’s called the We the People March.
“The ‘We the People March’ started with two women that are having the main march in Washington, D.C. Their names are Amy Siskind and Karen McCrae.
“Their mission statement is ‘We the People are marching to be seen and heard. We’re marching to remind our elected officials that they work for us. We are marching because the current regime is a threat to our democracy and values. We are marching to demand action. Silence and inaction are complicity.’
“Their march is going to be the same day in Washington, September 21st. And they had asked that if you couldn’t make it to D.C., if there could be solidarity marches all over the country. I signed up in St. Petersburg, not knowing what I was getting myself into. But, along the way, I found some really great help. Bette Steinmuller is co-organizing and Candy Roberts is the other co-organizer. And the three of us together have put together the march. And everything’s going to be ready to go on September 21st.”
SK: And that march will be at Crescent Lake Park in Saint Petersburg. How many people do you expect?
“We’re thinking a couple of hundred at this point. We’re still trying to get the word out. If anybody knows people that want to come. They’re not asking for anything specific that you march for. Everybody’s marching for what they believe in. It can be climate control, gun control, health care, women’s rights. So it’s basically the idea of the march is ‘we the people,’ and we demand that our elected officials listen to us and not special interest groups.
“So we are marching to let them know that we want them to listen to us.”
SK: Part of that mission statement is very strongly worded. So I want to focus on that and find out what you really mean by this. You say, ‘the current regime is a threat to our democracy and values.’
“Well, that’s the mission statement that they came up with. Basically, it’s not – what’s is going on in Washington; it’s not working. It’s broken. And, our democracy is falling apart. And our values are also being torn apart at the seams, this country’s values and morals. So that’s part of what people are marching for. We’re marching to demand action.”
“We have a Facebook event page. It’s called “We the People March – St. Petersburg FL”. So you can go on there and see all the information about the march. You can also say that you’re going or interested. And we also have a Twitter feed and that is We the People St Pete it’s just @WeThePeopleStP.”
The We the People March is from 11:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday September 21 at Crescent Lake Park: 7th Street and 22nd Avenue North.
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