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San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos: Hundreds in S.F. form human banner during ‘Families First' protest of Trump
Hundreds of people gathered at San Francisco's Ocean Beach to form a human banner Saturday morning as part of a nationwide 'Families First' day of action against the Trump administration. As an upside-down American flag flapped in the misty San Francisco summer air, the protesters stood in straight single-file lines near the Cliff House, forming 'FAMILIA!' below letters spelling 'WE ARE.' Children, parents and grandparents, many accompanied by dogs, protested what organizers from Indivisible SF called 'cruel cuts and attacks on our families' by President Donald Trump, including changes to social programs, food stamps and school lunches, 'all so a handful of billionaires can get tax giveaways.' The protest took particular aim at Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget he recently signed into law, which cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade and is expected to mean millions of Americans will lose health coverage. Protesters also decried recent raids in the Bay Area and nationwide by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As a ukulele band played Woody Guthrie's 'This Land is Your Land' over speakers, Peter Hosey, 40, stood in a line of people forming the letter 'A' in 'FAMILIA.' 'The message today is 'We are familia,'' Hosey said. 'That certainly resonates for a lot of us when you see what ICE has been doing, deporting children, deporting mothers, putting people in camps.' 'This is not what our country should be,' added Hosey, who works in the tech industry. The crowd, which organizers estimated as 600, then headed to the ocean, raising hands and waving to the water. Protesters then walked back and formed a circle around a large American flag as Sister Sledge's 1979 hit 'We Are Family' played over the speakers. Micki Morales, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Cupertino, was standing in one of the human letter lines when a call went out over the speakers. They needed someone who could sing 'This Land is Your Land.' Morales didn't come to the beach expecting to sing Saturday, but has experience in choruses and decided to offer up her voice. The song took on special meaning for her in the age of Trump. 'It's almost a prayer versus a statement,' said Morales, 88. 'I don't know how we got to this position, how people could be so fooled. But here we are, and hopefully we will dig our ways out.' Several related events were held around the Bay Area, including an afternoon rally at Snow Park in Oakland commemorating the anniversaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medicaid program and the Social Security Administration. The event featured speeches from Medi-Cal recipients, health care workers, caregivers and community members. One of the featured speakers in Oakland, Jazmine Arreola of the grassroots group Parent Voices Los Angeles, said she has fibromyalgia and is severely impacted by the federal cuts. 'How is it fair that families like mine up and down the state of California have lived our whole lives trying to move up and move forward for our kids, and we just can't?' Arreola, the mother of three children, said in a news release before the protest. 'My closest family members are on Medi-Cal: my dad and my grandparents. My daughter needs eye surgery. These cuts put our lives at risk.' In San Jose, health care workers, patients, community leaders and educators gathered Saturday afternoon at Discovery Meadow to highlight the effect of immigration raids and corporate tax breaks on working families. The Bay Area protests were organized by a coalition of unions, advocacy groups, faith leaders, and families. Events were also planned in San Mateo, Colma and Novato. The 'Families First' day of action included hundreds of rallies in all 50 states, highlighted by a livestreamed mobilization in Washington, D.C. The Washington demonstration included a 60-hour vigil at the National Mall to protest cuts to federal programs benefiting families. The events follow anti-Trump rallies that drew tens of thousands of people around the Bay Area and nationwide, including No Kings Day in June and 'Hands Off' in April. The San Francisco protest was organized by the same people who spelled out 'No King' on Ocean Beach during the nationwide No Kings protests this year. Several drones hovered overhead to capture their latest message. When it came to keeping the participants in orderly lines to spell their message clearly for the drones overhead, the job largely fell on Brad Newsham, 73. Newsham, a writer and former longtime cabdriver in the city, has been organizing protests like this one since 2007. Their causes have spanned the eras, from calls to impeach President George W. Bush, to support for Occupy Wall Street and now opposition to Trump. 'This is No. 28,' Newsham said. 'This has been incredible.' Newsham walked around the sand in a bright yellow jacket Saturday, delivering orders to the crowd via bullhorn. His injured ankle didn't hold him back. 'It's cool when you get a shot from the sky of all these people,' he said. When a group of protesters wearing purple union shirts bunched up in a line that was supposed to be single file, Newsham whipped them into shape. 'Hey SEIU, squeeze in!' he shouted into the bullhorn. 'It makes a better picture, you can do it.' Newsham seemed to get a kick out of it. 'It's an awesome responsibility,' he said. The demonstrators spelled out 'FAMILIA' to protest what Newsham's co-organizer, Travis Van Brasch, called ICE's 'completely illegal, cruel, stupid, unnecessary' raids. 'We are saying it in Spanish because that's where most of the trouble is,' said Van Brasch, 72. Warren Pederson contributed to this report.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
On both sides of the Hudson, protesters counter Trump's message to West Point's cadets
President Donald Trump sported a red Make America Great Again cap during his address to graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy Saturday, evoking themes of patriotism, strength and military might. "We are putting America first,' Trump told West Point's class of 2025. 'We have to rebuild and defend our nation." Across the Hudson River in Garrison, the academy's stone towers serving as a backdrop, anti-Trump protesters joined in singing Woody Guthrie's 'This Land is Your Land' and 'America the Beautiful.' They toted American flags and signs with a portrait of George Washington, whose Continental Army faced off the British in a spot not far from here during the American Revolution. 'This man saved America from a tyrant. No More Tyrants! ' they read. Baila Lemonik's faded pink hat, studded with peace signs surrounding a 'Not My President' button, was her answer to Trump's MAGA cap. 'We don't particularly care for the current administration in Washington because they don't care about us,' said Lemonik of Mahopac, a leader of the group Putnam Progressives. Threats: Trump administration threatens Manhattan road project funding over NYC congestion pricing Trump, she suggested, had hijacked the true meaning of patriotism for his own political gain. She and the others who gathered at Garrison Landing Saturday were there to take it back. 'We're patriots because we take care of people,' Lemonik added. 'That's what you do. If someone doesn't have something you help them get it… They're taking away people's healthcare. People are going to die.' Trump's address to the West Point graduating class, like his first in 2020, inspired spirited and peaceful protests on both sides of the Hudson Saturday. Gas: Trump pushes for more gas pipelines in NY: Anti-gas activists urge Hochul to block them Outside the academy's Thayer Gate greeting attendees to the morning graduation were dozens of protesters carrying signs offering a different take on Army's familiar rallying cry for its contests with the rival U.S. Naval Academy. 'Go Army, Beat Fascism' and 'Go Army, Beat Tyranny,' they read. 'We're here supporting our corps of cadets and the graduates from West Point and we are trying to let the people know who are coming here that we support them but we do not support the president,' said Laurie Tautel, a Democrat and Orange County Legislator. At Garrison Landing, a small flotilla of kayaks cruised the shoreline toting anti-Trump signs, accompanied by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Across the river a Coast Guard boat kept watch along the academy's shoreline west of the Hudson. 'This is our river,' said Trisha Mulligan of Garrison. 'We're trying to take it back…The MAGA has absconded with the flag and changed its meaning and so we're trying to bring it back.' Organizer Peter Bynum said Trump has undermined the principles of democracy and the rule of law envisioned by Washington and the nation's founders. 'What a slap in the face to patriots,' Bynum said. Karen Freede, a retired teacher from Putnam Valley, said she joined Saturday's protest because she fears for the country's future. 'Our president is not doing his job,' Freede said. "He is not for the people. He is working really hard for himself and his branding. He wants to be a dictator." Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA Today Network's New York State team. He's won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that's included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Protesters counter Trump's message to West Point's graduating cadets
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stillwater Community Singers recruiting for July 3 benefit concert
The Stillwater Community Singers are looking for vocalists who can contribute to a July 3 benefit concert for Stillwater Strong's wildfire relief efforts. The Singers and Stillwater Community Band are planning what's described as a patriotic concert for that evening in the Stillwater Community Center. 'The band will perform their set of spectacular patriotic pieces, the choir will sing a couple of selections, and then we will all join together in 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic,'' the group's newsletter read. 'It's going to be amazing.' The recruitment effort, according to the Singers, is 'to be big enough to create a memorable experience for the singers while inspiring the audience to donate.' 'To achieve our vision, we need more singers. And so we are going to make this easy,' the newsletter reads. Their choir will sing 'America the Beautiful,' 'This Land is Your Land' and 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.' The first of six rehearsals will begin May 22. 'There will be no dues, no fees and no push to permanently join the Stillwater Community Singers. Music and online rehearsal tools will be provided,' the letter reads. 'If you are a singer in Stillwater and will be available on Thursday evenings between May 22 and July 3 then consider yourself called to come and join us for this event.' Those interested should visit for more information and registration to volunteer.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We love it here in America': US welcomes 21 new citizens at naturalization ceremony
PLATTSBURGH — For Justices Glenn Suddaby and Gary Favreau, nothing is more exciting than presiding over a naturalization ceremony. 'Most of the time, people are on at least one side of a conflict or case (and) somebody's going out of our courtrooms unhappy,' Suddaby, a member of SUNY Plattsburgh's Class of 1980 and U.S. district judge of the Northern District of New York, said at Friday's ceremony at his alma mater. 'I like to tell people there's only two occasions where I preside and I know people are happy: those are weddings and naturalization ceremonies. and the weddings, there's no guarantees, but the fact that you become a citizen of this country, I think, brings pleasure for the rest of your life.' Twenty-one people from 12 different countries got a taste of that feeling Friday when they were sworn in as United States citizens in front of their friends and family in SUNY Plattsburgh's Krinovitz Recital Hall. Mireille Satheu, originally from Cameroon in Africa, was one of them. She was beaming with joy after the ceremony was over. 'I just feel like I will have … more opportunity for the future,' Satheu said about coming to the United States. 'I came to America in November 2019. I've been here with my kids and husband, and we are just doing some few jobs for the moment, and I think that maybe in the future, I can have something much better. Right here is really good, really good. It is a big difference between my country and America, so I'm really happy.' 'So, so, so happy,' she said about becoming a citizen. 'I'm really happy to be here.' This gratitude about becoming a United States citizen is something everyone should reflect upon, Favreau, a SUNY Plattsburgh Class of 1973 graduate and U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of New York, said in his address. He said in his time presiding over immigration cases, one person expressed to him how lucky he was to live in this country. Similarly, at a previous naturalization ceremony, one new citizen was so overcome with happiness, he was sobbing uncontrollably when it came time to accept his certificate. 'Those of us that are born here may not fully appreciate that emotion, that feeling, that pride and that commitment to this country,' Favreau said. 'This ongoing process should be a reminder to all of us of what's important and what we need to stand for in this country.' As part of the ceremony, the a cappella group from Stafford Middle School performed the National Anthem, 'This Land is Your Land,' and 'America the Beautiful.' Amanda Ross, a nurse practitioner, was one of several people from Canada who became American citizens Friday. She said from the moment she, her husband and son came to the United States for work in 2015, she knew they never wanted to leave. They also had two more children while living here. Ross said they had been here on green cards and then work visas but as soon as they could, applied for citizenship. 'We knew that we weren't going anywhere,' she said. 'We love it here in America. We had no intention of going back to Canada, so we applied for citizenship, and here we are today. So life is good. It's exciting. It's like finally the journey has come to a close.' Ross said it's a relief to finally be a citizen. 'It's been about a year-long process from the start of the application for citizenship,' she said. 'So yeah, it's been a long year waiting. (To celebrate) we actually are going to go back to our hotel. We have my son here with his whole hockey team that came to support us. So we're all going to go have lunch and hang out and go swimming.' This was something Ross had in common with SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi. Enyedi said he, too, became an American citizen from Canada 20 years ago. 'Having been born in Canada, I know first hand what this day represents: the fulfillment of a long journey, the embrace of new opportunities and the profound commitment to the ideals and the responsibilities of American citizenship,' Enyedi said. 'So today, in front of witnesses, friends, family, loved ones, we come together to celebrate a moment of significance, one that honors both individual achievement and the shared values that bind us as a community, we want to recognize and celebrate that the individuals who are taking over citizenship today are marking a very meaningful step in their journey.'
Boston Globe
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Hundreds rally outside State House to ‘Stand Up for Science'
'It's really disappointing that the government can't see the value in what we do,' said Carolyn Elya, an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at Harvard. 'It's really a scary time because I'm a young faculty, my lab is young, and we're trying to really get things off the ground, so not having support that we thought we could rely on is really disappointing.' Hundreds of people gathered in front of the State House to protest the Trump administration's funding cuts to science research. — Emily Spatz (@emilymspatz) Advertisement Demonstrators at the rally, dubbed Stand Up for Science, started off the protest with chants including 'Science saves lives,' and 'Vaccines are awesome, imagine if we lost them.' Many held signs, including some reading 'Science makes America great' and 'Science funding pays for itself.' They also sang the Stand Up for Science anthem to the tune of Woody Guthrie's 'This Land is Your Land,' with lyrics including 'Hear our entreaties; Cure diabetes; Science is good for you and me!' The protest is taking place in Washington, D.C., as well as state capitals nationwide . It was inspired by the 2017 March for Science, when millions of marchers worldwide took to the streets to protest the first Trump administration's policies that were viewed as hostile to science. Riss Kell, a postdoctoral scientist at the Gloucester Marine Economics Institute who researches cancer treatments using marine organisms, said there is 'a lot of fear in the community.' 'Our institution is mainly funded by philanthropy and federal science funding. Without federal science funding, we can't work,' Kell said, holding a sign reading 'Federal science saves lives.' 'Without [these institutions], it benefits no one.' Advertisement Many researchers at the protest said their projects had not been affected yet, but they were 'terrified' of what could happen. 'We're frozen in a state of not knowing what's happening. We're afraid to do anything moving forward,' said Becks Padrusch, who is a genetic researcher at UMass Chan Medical School. 'Nothing's happened yet, but not knowing is almost worse, because we're not sure what out future is gonna look like, and it's terrifying.' Among the Trump administration's changes are a proposed NIH funding cap, which The NIH announced last month it would slash the rate of Eight years ago, the organizers of the March for Science were alarmed by Trump's statements denying climate change and his new administration's plan to slash billions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's largest funder of medical research. This time, the Trump administration's rapid-fire changes and executive orders have made it easier to coalesce around specific goals, including: Reinstating federal funding for scientific research; rehiring all unlawfully terminated scientists at federal agencies; prohibiting all forms of political censorship in scientific research, including restrictions on the topics of scientific research that are eligible for federal funding; restoring all scientific data, reports, and resources on federal websites, and restoring all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs within federal agencies to pre-January 1 status. Advertisement Kay Lazar of the Globe staff contributed reporting. Material from previous Globe stories was used in this report. Emily Spatz can be reached at
