By Mia Costales
One source did not give their name due to the nature of the protest and is referred to in the article with the pseudonym John Doe.
By noon, a group of activists dressed head-to-toe in black had congregated in the Arcata plaza, flying Palestinian flags and bearing cardboard signs. Arcata community members gathered to protest in response to a national call to action against Donald Trump’s presidency on Tuesday, Jan. 21, as well as in support of the Palestinian martyrs and for Tortuguita, an environmental activist who was shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol officers in 2023. By 12:30 p.m., a group of several dozen people clad in black gathered around a large sign with the phrase “Fuck Trump, Viva Tortuguita, Free Palestine,” as a couple members of the group gave speeches.
Jasmine, a local activist who refrained from sharing her last name, gave a heartfelt speech in which they rallied the attendees to pursue a more anti-capitalist lifestyle.
“What do we do?” Jasmine said. “We show up to events like this and we can organize our own. We can still contact our representatives or join class action lawsuits against Jared Huffman. We can help people like Leonard Peltier wants to. We can feed our friends or read a book together, sharing resources when we find them. We can boycott brands and products that are rooted in colonization and exploitation and we can disrupt their business. There are more people here who are doing the work to create an ethical future and you are wanted in that work however you show up, whenever you show up, however you can. It’s true that there is no power like the power of the people. We can bring the empire to its knees. Free Palestine, free Sudan, free Congo, fuck the U.S.A and fuck Donald Trump.”
The group of protesters took to the streets around 1:00 p.m., marching up G Street. They blocked traffic as they marched up the road yelling chants such as, “Viva viva Palestina,” and, “When immigrant lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.” Their route took them past the Josiah Lawson memorial mural and up L K Wood Boulevard, where they eventually reached the library circle and made their way onto the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.
Protestors then marched from the quad to the forestry building, chanting, banging drums and drawing with chalk. Once they made it to the entrance of the forestry building, many entered the building, continuing to chant, play instruments and give speeches. Water bottles, burritos and flyers for Food Not Bombs Arcata were handed out. Faculty — such as Vice President, Chrissy Holliday, and Assistant Dean of Students, Heather Honig — attempted to mitigate the situation by asking protestors to clear a path for students. Protesters were quick to comply with requests and some even took it upon themselves to guard the entrance to ensure students could safely enter and leave the building. After leaving the forestry building, they marched over to the Natural Resources building where they continued to protest. As they were leaving, the fire alarm was pulled. The march continued on a path toward Harry Griffith Hall and eventually Siemens Hall.
“When I was in high school, I witnessed a city police officer attacking one of my classmates,” John Doe said. “And just doing research into the actions of the local police officers has led me down into a spiral of activism. I think now more than ever, community is something that is going to save us. Our governments obviously don’t represent us. Our oligarchs don’t represent us and we have to turn to each other.”
Mia Costales is a junior journalism major and the Life & Arts Editor for The Lumberjack. With an extensive background in music performance, she hopes to combine her love of music and the arts with her passion for localized news and activism to bring thoughtful and informed stories to the public.