Hands Off!

 

April 5, 2025

Last night with the Spirit on the front porch.

Rolled downtown with my music under my arm for Asheville’s Hands Off! rally, protesting Trump and Musk and their perversities. In part it was a gathering of old friends, where I saw brothers, mostly sisters, from past demonstrations on various issues through the years. But largely it was new, fresh, good-humored and infuriated at once. When we marched up to sing, there was a crowd of 8000 (according to the Citizen-Times). They screamed and applauded for every verse of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “We Shall Overcome.” May well be the most exciting public event of my life. I had to struggle to keep from crying descending the stage. Of course, my voice was in bad shape, but I discovered that I could bellow past the phlegm if I bellowed loud enough. Throngs still entered the plaza when I dragged myself away and headed for home. The speeches were predictable, but that’s because the outrages have come so thick and fast they seem almost domestic.