He is beauty, he is grace. He’s a tyrannical sexist fatcat. And Nottingham has had Trump on the brain for quite a while now. But just what do we think of our American ‘friend’?
“People of all ages seemed to be voicing their compassion for refugees and for women”
The recent protest in the city centre seems to be pretty strong evidence that the people of Nottingham do not like Trump. There was an atmosphere of heartfelt opposition to his attempted ban, and to Britain’s complicity-by-association. It wasn’t just a show of stereotypically wishy washy socialist students either, although I did make sure I was there in representative.
People of all ages seemed to be voicing their compassion for refugees and for women, and for anybody else Trump has managed to trample on in his short but Orwellian reign so far. It appeared, from within the crowd, that thousands of people had begun to realise, and oppose, the recurrent behaviour of western despots.
“Peaceful protests like the ones organised in Nottingham, Beeston and across the nation are powerful”
However, as a percentage of the city’s population, the turnout of the protest (according to Facebook) amounted to less than half a percent. Is this really a significant amount in the eyes of an all powerful Wotsit? Does Nottingham even care about politics and humanitarian issues? Is there even any point in caring at all if no one even bothers to show up?
“at least we’re boring AND political”
Of course there is. Despite not having a significant show of force from an international perspective, grassroots participation remains an important and relatively unpolluted mode of political participation. Peaceful protests like the ones organised in Nottingham, Beeston and across the nation are powerful, not perhaps because they will melt Trump like the wicked witch of the west, but because they will educate and mobilise local people.
On the bright side, more people went to the January 30th protest than went to Rock City two nights before, so at least we’re boring AND political.
Jo Ralphs
Featured image courtesy of ‘Gage Skidmore’ via Flickr. License here.
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