“Proud boys and a Nazi tried to interrupt a Drag Queen Story Time event, but were pushed out by over 75+ community members who showed up to create a barrier and escorted attendees to and from the event. The Story Time event was uninterrupted; however, Sacramento City Police did violently arrest a young community member while protecting and escorting the Nazi. Sacramento Police also detained and let go 3 other community members who showed up to protect the Story Time event. Sacramento Police did not arrest or detain the Nazi or the Proud boys / girls who showed up in full tactical gear to try to interrupt the event. | 4.16.2023”
—Black Zebra, Sacramento
Started today off by stopping by Poppy and Pot to support the drag queen storytime and tell the Proud Boys to go back to wherever their weird testicle-shaped treehouse is.
Watched one of them eat a right cross for breakfast, and I will say, it hit a spot my burrito hadn’t.
While I work toward non-violence in my daily life, I also hold a belief that the world would be a better place if everyone was punched in the face at least once in their life (it made me a more thoughtful and considerate person) and the understanding that revolutions don’t come without bloodshed.
The Proud Boys were outnumbered at least 70 to 7 (but the energy felt like 100 to 3) by the time I left to set up for the First Church of Poetry.
I don’t think it ended well for the Gavin McIness groupies today. Should’ve just let those people in the pretty costumes read stories to the kids and stayed home whittling Toby Keith figurines or whatever they do when they’re not getting their faces exploded like water balloons full of ketchup.
Then at FCOP today we talked about defending our joy rather than perpetuating our anger.
It was one of the most healing spaces i’ve ever been a part of and did exactly what the event was meant to do when we started it. After Mack’s message about the intersections of love and social justice movement work, person after person approached the mic with some version of “I’m not a poet but .…”, pulling out things they had written to share with an intensely attentive and supportive crowd.
We started at noon and I didn’t leave the park until 4pm. We met an EMT that volunteered to provide community trainings and talked about procuring some fentanyl testing kits to distribute.
We met an elder with a revolutionary poetry publication who said she had never experienced an event like this and offered some of our young life in attendance their very first publishing. We heard from trans and non-binary folks and the people who love them about what this tumultuous time in US history is like and watched their shoulders drop a little as they let go of some of the pain and frustration they’ve been holding.
I’m really, eh em, proud of my community and how they showed up today.
Whether you were on the expose and punch the incels in the Great Value tactical vests side or the help create a safe, healing space side. Both/and are necessary.
I love you and you can’t do $%!? about it.
—andru defeye
Flommist Andru Defeye is the Guerrilla Poet Laureate of Sacramento. Copyright © 2023 Andru Defeye. Screen captures via Black Zebra.
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