Marches have almost become routine in Milwaukee.
Marching against the deaths in Gaza. Marching against President Donald Trump. And now, marching against the bombings in Israel and Iran.
Whether the crowds are large or small, participants seem invigorated by expressing themselves.
That’s what happened Tuesday when 90 to 100 people marched from Cathedral Square to the Calling — the orange public artwork at the end of East Wisconsin Avenue.
Carol King of Milwaukee said she doesn’t feel her voice is heard by her government officials, so she came out to take a stand on her own.
“I felt like I needed to do something. The government isn’t listening to what the people want. I don’t have power, but I can show up and be present,” King said.
King believes Wisconsin lawmakers in Congress aren’t representing what people think about the conflict in the Middle East. Even with a modest turnout, she said, being with other, like-minded people can have an impact and lead others to act.
“They allow all of us to feel a part of the process,” King said. “We can sit around and fume and talk to our friends, but here we are standing with other people, and we’ve shown up.”
Contrast that with June 14, when roughly 10,000 people showed up for the No Kings march in downtown Milwaukee, and an estimated 4 to 6 million showed up at similar protests nationwide.
Organizer Caryn Melton of Shorewood said that was her first protest. “I’m inspired to see so many people from so many walks of life have shown up here to express their concern for our country and to protest and exercise our rights as Americans,” she said.
At an emergency rally June 22 in front of the Wisconsin Federal Building, Jim Carpenter, reminded the small crowd why they were there. “We’ve had one war after another,” said the co-chair of Peace Action Wisconsin. “Trump ran on the idea he would be the peace president. He’s not the peace president. Now we want to become the peace precedent.”
Nati Rodriguez, also from Milwaukee, said the protest Tuesday night gave her a sense of community during difficult times. Rodriguez said she came because she was against the War in Gaza and doesn’t believe the ceasefire between Iran and Israel will hold.
“It brings people together,” she said of the march. “All these people are speaking to different people they may not know.”
Milwaukee resident Blaise Torrence picked up on that theme, saying the protests continued to draw in new people. He was at one of two marches June 22, as well as the one on Tuesday night. He said he keeps seeing new faces, so the messages at demonstrations must be getting through.
“There’s still high engagement, there’s still increaesed education, and voices are heard,” Torrence said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: As anti-war protests continue, enthusiasm hasn’t waned, whether crowds are large or small
Reporting by Maya Bell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
