Trump's latest wars, and the protesters gunned down on the streets of Minneapolis, mean dark times for many of us. The echo chamber effect of social media has not helped. Even in Northern California you can feel like an oddball, lost in the crowd cheering on the carnage. But good vibes can still be found, just by waving signs on the I-80 Berkeley overpass on a Sunday afternoon — along with activists from Indivisible and kindred organizations. Honks of support from passing motorists can raise blue spirits.
I speak from two recent experiences. On 2/22 I went with five others from one of the kindred groups, SF Bay Area Friends of Standing Together (SF FoST). We displayed banners promoting peace and justice in Israel-Palestine (e.g., "From Gaza to Tel Aviv, All the Children Deserve to Live," and "End the Occupation to Free us All."). We were happy to get a honk of support about every 10 seconds, but in the Mid-East the results were not stellar. 18 Palestinians have been killed on the West Bank this year, many by settlers doing Netanyahu's bidding (that's equivalent to 1,800 Americans dying, or over half of our losses on 9/11/01). Worse, over 1,000 Gazans have died every month since the "ceasefire." Meanwhile, on 2/28 Trump expressed his frustration with Iran by assassinating its leadership and bombing its oil refineries. Black rain fell on Tehran, which could foul already drastically depleted aquifers.
And so on 3/15 SF FoSt came back with a new sign, "No War." We shared the overpass with Indivisible ("The GOP should get an Oscar for Gaslighting"). There was a small but noticeable uptick in the honk rate, and in the friendliness of passing pedestrians; this war, this President, is NOT popular.
One of the sign bearers was the Bay Area influencer and Indivisible activist known as "inspireresistance" on Facebook . In 2025 she turned 50, lost her job, but decided her priority was to resist Trump 2.0. In years to come, she did not want to confess that she did nothing to halt our slide into autocracy. On a personal level it was a happy choice. She says she's more resilient now, and found a new job in HR. And on a political level the No Kings protests keep growing due largely to dedicated idealists like her.
Another was Graham, who intended to spend the day resting, but realized the best place for him to feel recharged was on the overpass. He's involved with PushBackActNow.com, a web site providing a useful compendium of local and national resistance resources.
And then there is Karen, who makes time for SF FoST despite a demanding professional life, and the little fact that she's still recovering from a concussion. She says there is an international progressive movement that is gathering strength — including in Israel, where over 90% of Israeli Jews line up behind Netanyahu's war on Iran. Bit by bit, mind by mind, she thinks can change even there.
Finally, the beautiful outdoor setting on a crisp, clear Mediterranean spring day does wonders for ye olde morale. From the overpass you can see a panorama of our Bay Area home: the Port of Oakland, San Francisco, Tamalpais. Across the overpass come cyclists, parents pushing strollers, geezers like me. All somehow embellished by being together a a non-virtual space; a sample of who and what we care about, and want to save from disaster.
