Of the three major rallies in Harrisburg I’ve attended since Gov. Corbett proposed draconian cuts to the state budget, the “Rally for a Responsible Budget” organized by the CLEAR Coalition was by far the largest. The energy in the air was electric. Chants of “We are one!” and “Enough is Enough!” echoed through the city as thousands and thousands of union activists filled the Capitol steps and the surrounding lawns. It was a day that had me tweeting: “Today is another reason I thank god every day for the labor movement #paunion #pabudget #offthecouch#enough.” And it’s true. There is nothing more life-affirming that being with thousands of other people who, day after day, choose dignity over despair, solidarity over isolation, and action over retreat.
My favorite t-shirt of the day was worn by several hundred SEIU folks: “Making Power Concede.” Frederick Douglass would be proud.
Here are some pics from the rally. More to come if I can track down my other camera.
