Robert Wallis – London, England

Letter to an American

In response to the photos I sent I was asked by someone in America, what are the Brits* so upset about? Don’t you have your own political “morons” to deal with? And the answer is yes….  On the hard right we have the Reform Party led by Nigel Farage who, with the help of Bojo (Boris Johnson), convinced Brits to vote for Brexit against their own interests, economic and otherwise. Now the small majority that were swayed by Nigel’s lies, and who are often the most negatively impacted, have had serious buyer’s regret. Sound familiar? On the other hand, as blowback from the Brexit debacle and years of austerity under Conservative government, the Labour Party was voted back into power by a large majority. But so far Keir Starmer has refused to take any steps to even partially reintegrate with the EU trading block although he strongly opposed Brexit in opposition. Instead, up until this week, he’d been working hard at massaging Trump’s ego** hoping that Britain’s “special relationship” with the U.S. would help mitigate our lost trade with Europe. That hasn’t worked out so well, unless being slapped with only 10% tariffs is considered a reward for our special status. At the same time Starmer is cutting social spending and foreign aid to increase spending on defense. The cutbacks are not at the level of the U.S. but it will mean harder times for people who were already struggling economically. And, as in the U.S., people are watching the bottom fall out of pension plans as global stock markets cratered in response to the Trump tariffs. Meanwhile Britain’s targets for reaching Net Zero carbon emissions are also being pushed back due to the changed economic reality although the government still admits the climate threat is real and getting worse (unlike Trump). Turning to foreign policy, most of the world watches in horror the ongoing genocide in Gaza enabled, as always, by U.S. unconditional support for Israel. Although Trump has taken it to a whole new level by calling for the complete expulsion of Gaza’s population to redevelop it as a resort for “people of the world”, other than the Gazan’s themselves. It’s music to the Israeli hard-right’s ears. The U.K. is not guilt-free as it has been providing jet parts and intelligence for Israeli bombing raids, not to mention having been at the root of the entire problem when it carved up the former Ottoman Empire with France at the end of the First World War. But that’s a much longer letter.

So yes, there’s lots of stuff to get upset and demonstrate about on both sides of the pond. 

*Full disclosure: many of the people at the demo yesterday in Trafalgar Square were actually expats and/or Londoners, like myself, showing up on short notice. 

**But we now have Trump’s 2nd state visit to look forward to. It’s a special honor bestowed on him by Britain as the first elected leader in modern times to get the invite twice (hand delivered by Starmer). Keir had hoped it would earn us some extra poodle points. If/when Donald sets foot in Britain again there will be a lot more people from around the country out on our streets.

Earl Dotter – 15th Street on the Mall, Washington D.C.

“I was moved by the range of participants who created homemade signs that spoke to their specific concerns and viewpoint.”

The announcement was simple enough, as my wife, Deborah, and I traveled from our home just outside Washington, DC to attend the April 5^th, HANDS OFF Rally, a short ride on the Metro subway stop at the Smithsonian Institute, the museum complex now besieged by the Trump administration.

I am a longtime occupational photojournalist. I brought my iPhone along, as both a rally participant and workplace photographer who began his career in 1968, after the coal mine disaster in Farmington, West Virginia, claimed the lives of 78 miners.  In 1969 Richard Nixon signed into law the Mine Safety and Health Act and the Occupation Safety and Health Act (MSHA and OSHA), as well as the EPA a year later.

Now Donald Trump and Elon Musk are eviscerating those same institutions along with many more key Federal Government agencies. At the rally, I rubbed shoulders with our fellow citizens to speak our peace, like my Congressional Representative Jamie Raskin, who said at the rally, attended by over 20,000, “No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.”

Diane Middleton – Torrance, Califonria

As famously stated:  “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it !”

Torrance, California saw 10,000 people line the streets and flood the city plaza with signs that captured the outrage felt by Americans protesting the unconstitutional actions of the Mad King.

Torrance is a solid middle class community of white collar, defense, and refinery workers.  This was the largest protest ever in this little SoCal community.

America – we are getting there!!   No “leaders” speaking for us at this rally.  Just folks expressing their most heartfelt fears and disgust with handmade signs!

Resist!  Resist! Resist!

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