Protest and Progress

Amanda Ribarchik, digital marketer, Philadelphia: “I lived in Japan for five years, which has sort of a universal health care–type system. Everybody pays into it. You can go down to the clinic or hospital and have affordable health care that everyone has a right to, and the world didn’t fall apart because of that. And I don’t understand how that can be a bad thing.”

Nyree Krikorian, Seattle, Washington (left): “Coming here has been a burden on my husband, who is taking care of our disabled son. It was about being proud for the first time, and awake for the first time. I’ve been a citizen for 25 years, and never understood. I believed we lived in a democracy, and for the first time Bernie Sanders opened my eyes and I realized we needed to make a change. And it’s very important that we take a stand. We cannot just say ‘somebody else will do it for me.’ We all have to do it. And that means each and every one of us who has been awakened by Bernie Sanders.”

DeCourcy Squire, Minneapolis, Minnesota (center): “This is such a historic moment, and I think it’s very important to be here and speak up and show support for Bernie, and show the Democratic Party what a mistake they’re making in not nominating him—that they’re throwing the election to Trump. And also, to hold their feet to the fire about the progressive planks in the platform. I’m going to vote for the greater good, not the lesser evil.”

kamillah fairchild, New Jersey (right): “The first time I heard Bernie Sanders speak, it was maybe the mid-’90s. He was giving a speech on the radio, and he said something like, in describing these possibilities, ‘Is that utopian or is that doable?’ That’s where we are now. We’re at the crossroads. Is this utopian, or is this doable? He thinks it’s doable. And I do too.”

Moshie O’Connor, Norwich, Connecticut: “What brings me here is the anger I feel at what feels like the loss of our democracy. I feel that right now as a country we are teetering. We can go in one direction or the other, and I feel like we are teetering in the wrong direction. If we can’t stop this, what happened during this election cycle—we’ll never be able to stop it. We’ll never get money out of politics. I work for an investment fund that shall remain nameless [laughs]. They know how I feel. They know who I support. I get picked on a lot in the office. I don’t hate wealthy people. I’m not trying to burn anything down. I want to live in a society that’s fair. I worked very hard for everything I have in my life. I’m very proud of my work. I’m not looking to get a handout from anyone. I’m looking for fairness. If I have to pay a certain amount in taxes, then you should, too.”

Alexander Dominguez, Sanders delegate, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: “Yesterday I got to go inside the convention as a Bernie delegate, and to vote for Bernie for the nomination of president of the United States. A lot of people in the DNC don’t take us seriously. I really want unity. I say, that ‘what Bernie says, is what I say.’ He’s calling for unity, and that’s what we need to do. A lot of us Bernie people are listening. A lot of us aren’t. I can only pray that people who are in the establishment also listen to Bernie, because he is trying to heal. A lot of people are hurt, but they also know that this isn’t over. Their voices still matter.”

Onel Martinez, mayoral candidate, Elizabeth, New Jersey: “I remember being hit by this recession when I was very young. My father lost his job, my mom was taking care of a family of five on $20,000 a year. We lost all the privileges we had before that, because everything went downhill. Right now I'm doing much better. But, knowing that a lot of people are still in the predicament that I was in four years ago, I can understand the fear and the pain that people go through. Bernie Sander’s message has inspired me to create this idea of what I want for my community, and what I want for America, my kids, and future generations. Because I’m tired of seeing all this corruption and all this hatred among people.”

Amber Lynn Blomgren, Los Angeles, California: “I came out here to put my voice behind the progressive agenda that I firmly believe in. I know that it’s been added to the platform here, but I’m here to show that we are going to hold them accountable, and that we’re going to vote in progressive Democrats at every level. We’re here to unify, and make sure that the relations we built during this revolution are strengthened, not weakened, after what happened with the DNC. The nicest thing that’s happened all week is noticing how the police are here to keep us safe. They’ve been doing their jobs, and they’ve treated us like human beings. Officers have markedly deescalated situations multiple times. I’m incredibly proud to have been working with the people here, to see how well they interacted with the police, and how well the police responded with us. This is the example we need to take away with us.”

Captain Tom Davidson, Philadelphia police, on the demonstrators: “For the most part, this is a very peaceful crowd, a very appreciative crowd, a very cooperative crowd. I think it’s been a very good time, actually.”

Dan Bailey, age 64 (left): “I watched John F. Kennedy as a child, and I was really inspired by him. But Bernie’s the best that we’ve had. And, as he said, this is our last chance to escape an oligarchy and actually have real democracy that serves the people, instead of the one percent.”

Dan Rosenberg, age 24 (right): “This is a fight that involves all of us. What we’re fighting for today is nothing more, and nothing less, than to create a world of peace, equality, harmony, and cooperation. And that affects every single person in this country. This is a world that everyone can benefit from, no matter how old or how young; no matter what race you are, no matter what economic bracket you’re in. This is a fight that every single person should be able get behind, because this is a fight that, if won, will benefit every person.”