Horrified by recent grab-up “disappearings” of people unpopular with the federal administration, a handful of friends — some lawyers and some not — took to heart Joan Baez’s exhortation that “Action is the antidote to despair.”
On very short notice, we met up in front of the nearby historic courthouse — a readymade backdrop to send a message supporting free speech, due process and rule of law. We grabbed markers, storyboarded about a range of issues, and hammed up a flamboyantly mock attack on each person who spoke out. Then we messaged about what had happened to our trussed-up prisoners, deprived of their constitutional rights.
We cut the images together into short videos, and appended encouragement for other DIY actions, info on contacting Congress, and a plug for Law Day of Action on May 1st.
Finally, we posted on Instagram and uploaded as YouTube shorts. Within hours of posting, we had thousands of views! We also shared the YouTube links in our personal networks, in comment sections of pro-democracy Substacks, etc.
A greencard holder at the grocery store today thanked me for posting, saying she feels she cannot speak out. What actions can we take as Third Actors to exercise our various privileges and abilities? “No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” (Edward R. Murrow)
Here are our DIY-for-due process videos: