“Fuck the Fourth”
07.04.2022 | “Celebrate freedom? What freedom?”
Chants ring out as five or six hundred protesters surround the California State Capitol Building. This is the “Fuck the Fourth” protest, in opposition to the massive backslide of Americans’ human rights and the roots of fascism that continue to grow.
Signs remind onlookers that the supreme court plans further rulings, including the court’s explicit threats to same-sex marriage and relationships, gender-related healthcare, and voter suppression.
Pro-choice is the majority opinion of Americans nationally, with 61% saying they support abortion in all or most cases (1).
The protest began on the west steps of the Capitol building. 500-600 people gathered with signs and chants, culminating in a pile of American flags being lit on the steps. The crowd cheered as more flags were added, including a confederate flag, and continued cheering as bras joined the flags in the flames.
The growing crowd began to march on surrounding streets with chants including “Fuck the church, fuck the state, only we decide our fate”; “My body, my choice!”; “Fuck Biden, fuck SCOTUS too, they don’t give a fuck about you!”, among others.
The empowered crowd, realizing what they were capable of and that they require major attention to their issues, decided to block Interstate 5. This endeavor was massively successful, blocking traffic for as long as 30 minutes and maintaining the safety of all involved. Helicopters circled, including one bearing the logo of the local sheriff’s department. Police attempted to come up the onramp to trap protesters but activists decked in black blocked the entrance and maintained the onramp.
The march returned to the capitol steps as protesters swapped water, snacks, and conversations. A sign on the steps declares “We won once before- we will win again!”.
(1) pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/13/about-six-in-ten-americans-say-abortion-should-be-legal-in-all-or-most-cases-2/
