On Sunday morning, approximately a thousand demonstrators gathered at the San Diego County Administration Building before marching through the streets of the Embarcadero and Little Italy. The event, described as a peaceful “disruption,” aimed to support reproductive rights and oppose mass deportations, as well as to protest perceived attacks on the U.S. Constitution and democracy.
Participants from diverse backgrounds responded to an online call to action, uniting in their shared concerns. Jennifer Sieber, a long-time county employee, emphasized the importance of community, stating, “Being in community with people that I know who think rationally about the world… that is the only thing that gives me hope these days.”
Gretchen Bergman and her husband, David, brought their 2-year-old grandson, Zyler, to his first protest, hoping to instill early lessons in social justice. Bergman remarked, “[We hope] that he learns from a very early age there are good people that stand up to oppression… and that only through community like this… can we resist evil.”
Taylor Hill, attending with friends, expressed frustration with current events, saying, “I’m so tired of waking up and looking at the news, and hearing half-truths or not truths at all.” Her friend, Ayaka Pritchard, highlighted the power of collective action: “Individually our voices are not loud. Together, we are so loud we will influence a car passing by, a child passing by that might not know what’s going on. They’ll ask their parents what’s going on.”
