On Thursday, May 1, I attended the May Day protest just down the street from our Tri-City Voice office to take photos of the event. Only about a 10-minute walk away were four large crowds of people at each corner of the Paseo Padre Parkway and Walnut Avenue intersection.
Walking up to the protest just before its scheduled start time of noon, I was not expecting to see so many people already out with signs.
It’s not a huge surprise that residents of Fremont and the Tri-City area do not align with the direction of the new administration. With so many different cultures and diverse beliefs in the East Bay, it’s evident for us that cultural diversity can create a beautiful community.
While I was there taking photos, many people would share how grateful they were that a news outlet was out covering the event. I was surprised to hear them say that they don’t usually get media coverage from other outlets.
A protest is a big deal, but I do realize that maybe after a duration of the same protests with the same message, it can get repetitive. It begs the question: Does a protest even make a difference at that point?
A friend of mine commented that he doesn’t think protests are as effective if they’re not backed by a certain action. His suggestion was protesting in front of the Tesla factory. I could understand where the idea came from and I did begin to question it myself. How much change can the same protest make?
Since the May Day protest was nationwide, I think its greatest impact was to show the number of people across the country who share the same belief. On social media a story was shared that a resident of a rural town in a very red state was shocked to see that a small group of about 15 people were protesting.
I think those who are in a safe space to speak up are the ones who can create the environment where others feel they can also do the same.
