I had intentions to walk to Northampton’s City Hall Thursday and take notes on a public meeting for a class assignment. I was confused to see a demonstration blocking the entrance to the building; that was until I saw the signs, “Protect Women’s Rights,” “I Believe Her,” “Why Can’t We Just Believe Women?” Unbeknownst to me, I had walked into a public demonstration for survivors in solidarity towards Dr. Ford and her testimony just hours earlier.
Countless community members gathered the courage to share their stories of violence, of allyship, of healing, and to make a call to action. It was a beautiful representation of community support. Such an inspiring assembly did not come without its turmoil. There were two separate occasions I would like to shed some light on.
The first incident: A man on a motorcycle stopped his bike in front of the demonstration and revved his engine to disrupt the survivor sharing their story and to gather our attention. He then proceeded to triumphantly put his middle finger in the air and then speed off, making as much noise as possible. I was absolutely appalled, yet not surprised, which is the sad part. To that man on the motorcycle, you want to know what we did when you left? We simply made a joke, laughed it off, and continued on to share our stories and support one another.
The second incident: A car stopped in front of City Hall, and the driver honked his horn to simply yell at us, “Go Trump!” Which may not seem like much, but at an event like this the connotation felt like an attack.
To both these men, I do not know your stories or where your anger comes from. Yet, you both provided perfect examples of what exactly is wrong with this nation when people are brave enough to speak out against sexual assault. At first, I was angry with you both, but what good would it do to stoop to your level? I will not wish ill on you. I will not wish that you know someone who has been assaulted. I will not wish that you have a daughter to understand the fear women have. I will not wish for you to experience assault yourself in order to understand our pain, as I could never wish that on anyone. And I will not let my anger for your actions ruin the empowerment felt at that demonstration.
Instead, I will wish for you a growth in empathy, a chance to speak to any one of us one-on-one in a respectful conversation, and a time for self-reflection on why you felt the need to do that tonight. To live a life full of hatred, disrespect and ignorance is no life at all. We do not wish to fight you. We simply wish to help you understand and empathize with our lived experiences.
Your actions today to rile us up and demean our stories were all futile. We will never stop speaking out, we will never give up the fight for our safety, and we will never stop supporting one another.
To those who are still afraid to speak out and share your story, that’s OK, I am too. Your story is just as valid, and you have every right to protect yourself first.
Just know that today I witnessed an entire community out there for you. They are ready to listen to you, to believe you, and help you heal. As disheartening as it is to witness actions of some such as today, it is also encouraging to know that we can rise above that.
Thank you Northampton and to those who made tonight happen, and especially thank you to those who garnered the courage to speak your truths.
Northampton is just a small example of the power of solidarity, and I am hopeful to see more demonstrations similar to tonight across the nation. We will not give up until we are all heard, safe and respected.
Andrea Mancuso