November 19th at the Marion county courthouse. I attended a protest arranged in efforts to speak against Kyle Rittenhouse being found innocent. 

   It was interesting to say the least. Many showed up with a sign and and warm clothes. It began as a dimly lit gathering that was very quiet and almost unnoticeable at first glance from the street. 

As the night went on more and more people showed up in support. As people with megaphones arrived, shared boxes of chalk to leave messages on the courthouse yard, and groups broke out in chants against fascism and white supremacy, there was a clearing in the air of support. Not from some government ideology to “love and fear” but from the community itself. There was a few hecklers along the way who would chant from the road and cause an eruption of back lashing from the crowd. Although it remained peaceful the whole night through.
  At one point a speaker invited we all go on a walk around the city block to demonstrate our presence and to send a message to everyone. It was thrilling to March downtown in a group of over 50 people and let them know how we feel. There were some who showed up with reflective gear and gas masks, as well as protective vests. During the March they served as a protective barrier between us and traffic. After the March things calmed down. Some stuck around for a few more hours in support but at that point we had been heard and a message was sent. The night grew colder and the crowd dissipated until it was quiet again. 
   I had a great time and took a lot of great photos. I’ll leave you all with just a reminder to enjoy yourselves and some other shots from that night that I liked.

Peace and love.