Tampa Mayor Jane Castor recently said that, “I don’t know that there is anybody in the nation that hasn’t gotten that message… I think their time would be much more productive if it was spent on working toward changing those issues that they’re protesting.”
She was talking about street protests, but as many have noticed, activists are doing more than just shouting in the streets. The Tampa Bay Activist Network, for one, regularly and conveniently rounds up information on government meetings, public comment opportunities and non-protest action items. But still, having a visible presence and disrupting everyone else’s “normal” life will always be a part of the social movement for change. Some folks—especially those who are uncomfortable with facing reminders of systemic racism—need more visceral queues. So on Labor Day, a small group of demonstrators took to rainy downtown Tampa streets, the county courthouse, stopped at Armature Works, sang a new version of the labor standard “Which Side Are You On?” and marked 100 days in the streets. —Ray Roa
