The Hands Off! protests in Tennessee were organized by Indivisible, 50501 and United Volunteers of Tennessee with many other groups, including Third Act Tennessee, pushing statewide promotion. In the Nashville area, there were three days of violent storms, tornados and torrential rains leading up to the April 5th event. That Saturday, it looked like there was a break in the weather, but saturated ground, standing water on some roads and an iffy forecast for the afternoon made organizers skittish, so a cancellation notice was sent out to those who had registered.
People came anyway.
Speakers and performers had been told not to come. The ground at Centennial Park was too wet for the planned sound system. People, however, continually converged from all directions. The organizers put their heads together and the Nashville Hands Off! event organically grew like wet grass from the mud. It was a day of chants, song, drumming, dance and sharing words with bullhorns. The signs were amazing and the vibe was tangible. People needed this!
By the afternoon, the crowd of thousands spontaneously migrated to the sidewalks of West End Ave. and engaged the traffic which mostly honked with approval.
Knoxville, to the east, had glorious weather and a massive turnout for a march and sidewalk demonstration. The signs were creative and sometimes kitschy (east TN humor is the best).
At both events an innovative idea was born, a large helium balloon shaped like a ‘3’ to help Third Actors find each other. It also sparked conversations with others about Third Act.
We even had participation from TATN members on a visit to Honduras!
Some of the West TN events were postponed. Our weather comes from that direction and another round of storms was brewing.
It was thrilling to see the small town protests constantly being added in the days before. Promotional material was edited time and again to include these folks, showing up in town squares and in front of courthouses. So here’s a big shout out to Morristown, Winchester, Cookeville, Jackson, Johnson City, Maryville and Clarksville!!
Feeling some love for Tennessee!