My first No Kings protest downtown and it was exciting. Live performance, crazy characters, great signs and lots of camaraderie. i gave out stickers and made friends as we idled and marched. Unlike the first and second march, this time i traveled to downtown los angeles to participate in a much larger gathering. i couldn’t get pictures of all the incredible costumes. Everyone was so friendly and curious. i lost count of how many times i bumped into or stepped on the foot of a fellow protestor.
We missed the parade, and even worried that the celebration might be winding down. Luckily it turned out that the celebration was not even slowing. Confetti cannons continued to fire, gathering so much on the ground that children were playing in it like snow. Confetti angles, confetti ball fights, there were even some industrious youths that managed to relaunch a massive pile back into the air and onto the heads of celebrants. Amazing food, performers, music and art. Not to mention the typical chinatown fair. I watched performances by dragon dancers, contortionists, martial artists, traditional chinese music as well as contemporary chinese pop music. It was a great way to bring in the year of the Boar!
It started off a bit hazy. The air was not ideal for photography, but I still managed to capture a few great shots. It was actually my first visit to Catalina Island. Luckily, it was the first day of the late hours, but unfortunately the restaurant did not get the memo. We had time to hike about before taking off again. We took a meandering route back to Hawthorne and did some sight seeing. I even took the yoke. Continue reading for some amazing pictures.
