What is the largest protest your town has ever had?

[DisneyHardin]

I live in the city where Breonna Taylor was killed. We had huge protests downtown in the summer of 2020. I would say some nights, there were thousands of people there.

 

[MillauFr]

1999. The world trade organization protests.

 

[cheryl.UK]

I live in a village so not so many people anyway but about 150 of us showed up to protest the opening of a TESCO supermarket, similar to a Walmart, in our village. We already have a sizeable C0-0P, similar to a small Publix so no-one want a TESCO which would have brought more traffic. We won, they lost and we have never regretted the decision,

 

[bcla]

I'm not sure if there were any kind of protests per se, but we had some interesting issues in community meetings. However, I live near Berkeley. I don't think I need to explain how big protests in Berkeley can get.

 

[HiStitch626]

Probably after Hurricane Irma. They had granted passes to some people to re-enter, but not everyone and then there were counterfeit passes. The blockade was pretty tense for a few days.

 

[mjkacmom]

BLM, there were a few peaceful protests and marches. One was a big comical, there was talk about removing the Christopher Columbus statue, and one BLM March was ending there, members of our Italian American club were there to protect the statue and scream and curse at the marchers (mostly minors and young adults). In front of the police station.

 

[Tiggerish]

My city is famous for two very different mass gatherings.

In May of 2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan appeared on a list of "dying" cities. In response a small group raised the funds to create a ten minute film of thousands of people gathered in the downtown streets to lip sync to American Pie.

In May of 2020, a peaceful protest over George Floyd and devolved into a riot where most downtown stores windows were broken. Stores, restaurants and ATMs were looted and multiple vehicles set on fire.

I was in the crowd for the lip sync. From the vantage of my apartment's balcony, I saw the protestors fill the street in front of the police station then when things went bad, had to come inside and close the slider door and my windows to keep out the tear gas. When my the building's lawn sprinkler system started watering the lawn people were standing in line to wash off from tear gas exposure.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Easy. Brexit.

 

[Colleen27]

My city is famous for two very different mass gatherings.

In May of 2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan appeared on a list of "dying" cities. In response a small group raised the funds to create a ten minute film of thousands of people gathered in the downtown streets to lip sync to American Pie.

That's pretty cool. I have to wonder what the person who put together that list was thinking, though; we spend a half dozen weekends a year in GR for our theatre subscription and there always seems to be something new and fun going on while we're there.

 

[Tiggerish]

we spend a half dozen weekends a year in GR for our theatre subscription and there always seems to be something new and fun going on while we're there.

You might want to consider a trip to participate in this year's Art Prize. Art Prize is back in full force this year with more than 750 artists and over 150 venues. From September 15th through October 2nd the streets of downtown Grand Rapids plus four other sites will be teeming with experiences. https://artprize.org/

 

[Travel60]

I've lived near 3 cities when they had major protests:

Near Memphis when Martin Luther King was killed. National Guard tanks rolling down Parkway. My high school had a school-wide pep rally scheduled in the gym the following week and there were rumors that there would be a riot. My cousin's father was head football coach and let my friends and I sit right behind the team during the rally. Figured rioters would have to get through the team first.

Near Baltimore when Freddie Gray was killed in the back of a police van. Rioters burned and rampaged many downtown businesses and caused a lockdown at Camden Yards during a baseball game.

Near DC when January 6 riots occurred. My now DIL actually lived directly behind the Supreme Court building. When we heard about the people coming into DC, we had her and my son come to our house for a few days. Watching it on TV, we kept seeing her home and prayed it would not be damaged.

 

[prairie_girl]

The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. Apparently the largest strike ever in Canada.

Exactly what I was coming here to say.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg_general_strike

 

[pigletliz]

.

 

[Tallis]

1995 - Million Man March

 

[sipnride]

I'm not sure if there were any kind of protests per se, but we had some interesting issues in community meetings. However, I live near Berkeley. I don't think I need to explain how big protests in Berkeley can get.

I can't imagine any incorporated division near Berkeley that hasn't had big protests. Emeryville, Albany, San Pablo? I mean, maybe Orinda doesn't have many protests.

 

[gharter]

BLM is the clear winner.

 

[Colleen27]

You might want to consider a trip to participate in this year's Art Prize. Art Prize is back in full force this year with more than 750 artists and over 150 venues. From September 15th through October 2nd the streets of downtown Grand Rapids plus four other sites will be teeming with experiences. https://artprize.org/

I'd love to, but it is so hard to justify trips so close together - this year's Broadway in GR season opener is only a week or two after ArtPrize. I think I'm going to try to fit in a stop in the city, just to get a taste of things, when we go up to work on our vacation property in Baldwin later this month. I suspect after spending Friday and Saturday clearing and leveling a camping area on our land and doing a bit of offroading, my not-so-outdoorsy 14yo would probably appreciate getting cleaned up to have Sunday brunch and enjoy some art in GR on the way home.

 

[momz]

BLM riots devastated our downtown. We are still recovering. Now the crime is out of control and people avoid downtown.

 

[sipnride]

BLM riots devastated our downtown. We are still recovering. Now the crime is out of control and people avoid downtown.

Wow - that's pretty intense. Where was this?

 

[momz]

Wow - that's pretty intense. Where was this?

sadly, I know that my city is not alone. crime is up, way up. local professional sports and concert attendance is down except for the concert venues in the suburbs where its thriving. Downtown is not exactly a ghost town, but very much changed.