Please keep sending updates on turnout in Western Pennsylvania. Source, too. I hear there folks were standing someone on Route 8 – where? That counts! I’ll create a clean version of the list tomorrow – Sue

I went to the protest on Pittsburgh’s Northside with two friends. We showed up, found some shade, and plopped ourselves down. We only stayed about 90 minutes because one of them had to leave and we didn’t want her to walk by herself.

I did not take photos of the cool signs. I appreciated them. I did not take crowd shots. I looked around. I did not visit the tables, but accepted the handouts people gave me and read them carefully. I listened, I clapped, I sang. I handed out Protect Trans Kids stickers.

The one photo I took

Typically, I would feel an urge to document and chronicle, to report out, to run around, to visit each table and take the materials that will end up in my recycling bin. I would have felt an irresistible urge to be a blogger instead of a participant. I would have left my friends to do all of this.

While it is important for me as a blogger to use this platform and my social media to lift up the resistance, sometimes I get to be just another face in the crowd whose presence in the here and now is what I bring to the table.

Writing this post is the blogger bit. I’m resharing/reposting content as fast as I can. You can visit my Facebook profile to see that – lots of photos other people shared. I’m also sharing on Instagram.

It felt good and comforting to be in a crowd where I didn’t really have to worry about being safe or valued. A level of anxiety lifted from my shoulders, a load I didn’t even realize I had been carrying. I felt the ground under me, the sun and shade battling to cover me, watched the ducks in Lake Elizabeth who remained unperturbed by the crowd or noise. I smiled and laughed and felt comfort.

I did wonder about the drone in the sky, the people whose behavior was a little forced or furtive. But for the most part, it was just good to be with my people.

I do feel compelled to say that while the age range was pretty significant, the racial diversity was not. This was definitely a heavily white event. That’s a little sad for a Northside event, a part of town with a higher percentage of Black residents. I saw little to no promotion or invitation shared on any of the many, many Northside social spaces I occupy. It is certainly not a new issue, more the status quo. But it remains a serious problem.

My friends and I with the park behind us. We are golden

That’s not an experience I have often, I get so focused on ‘my work’ that I forget myself. I don’t want to take away at all from the informative, motivational aspects of these events. Otherwise, why would I spend my entire morning looking for attendance info? But for me personally, it was a comforting event. I’m so immersed in the horrors every day. I don’t have that immersive experience. That’s something I need to attend to so I can continue.

But today, I’m back to blogging with estimated attendance at regional events.

Nationally, reports indicated over 7 8.3 million people turned out, a sizable increase from 5 million in June. More than 2.700 events were scheduled. So I took a closer look at events in Western PA that I had previously listed. These are very rough estimates, many based on participants self-reporting. UPDATE – I added events that weren’t on my original list. Basically all 26 counties of Western PA.

Based on these early reports, over 27,000 32,500 people attended a No Kings events in Western PA. I’m no Steve Kornacki, but that’s impressive. Pay special attention to the smaller towns and rural communities. Kudos to Beaver Township for attracting 1,000 people. And for the folks in Cranberry Township who spontaneously decided Butler County needed to show up. 1,00+ across three events in Mercer County INCLUDING Grove City? Yes, please.

By my count, 17 Western PA counties participated.

9-10am Coraopolis – 130 (attendee) 309:15-10:45am Grove City – ‘couple hundred’ attendee 1,000+ at all three Mercer County events (Democrat Women of Mercer County)10-11am Sewickley – 1,000+ attendee10-11am McCandless/North Hills – ‘hundreds’ attendee 500 (attendee)11am Indiana, PA – 660 (Indiana Borough Police)11am-12pm Washington, PA – ‘good turnout’ multiple attendees 1000 (event organizers)1130am Mercer,PA – 1,000+ at all three Mercer County events (Democrat Women of Mercer County)11:30-1:30pm Uniontown – 400 attendee12pm New Castle – dozens (New Castle News)12-2pm Beaver 1,000 attendee12-2pm Greensburg – 2,000. (Trib Live) 3000 (TribLive – updated)12-2pm Erie – hundreds (attendee)12-2:30pm Hermitage – 1,000+ at all three Mercer County events (Democrat Women of Mercer County)12:30-2:30pm City County Building 7000-10,000 (attendees) 11,000 (event organizers)12:30pm Johnstown 300-500 Allegheny Independent Media 2-4pm  Allegheny Commons Park – 7000 (Pittsburgh Police)2-4pm Meadville – 300 (Erie County News)2:30-4:30pm Kittanning 300-400 Armstrong County Democrats3-4:30 South Hills – 1,000 (Youtube) 2000 (event organizers)5-6pm Shadyside – 1000 (attendee)5-6pm Robinson – no report yetCranberry, Butler County, PA – “a few hundred” attendeeDubois, Elk County, Clearfield, Jefferson counties ,- 400 (Elk County Democratic Committee)Franklin, Venago County – 300 (Substack)Oil City, Clarion County – unknownAltoona, Blair County – 500 (WJAC)Bradford, McKean County – 50Bedford County – unknownGreene County – unknownSomerset County – unknownForest County – unknownWarren County – unknownAnywhere else?

Please reach out with contacted or better sourced information. You can leave a comment or email me pghlesbian@gmail.com.

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