In a show of creative resistance to President Donald Trump, Reno’s Holland Project hosted a sign-making workshop ahead of People’s Veto Day protests on April 5. The workshop was presented by the Holland Project and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada. 50/50/1 organized protests in every state capital and major city under the banner: 50 protests, 50 states, one day.
Alex Tsatsos, a local organizer with the 50/50/1 who used to work with the ACLU, said that both organizations believe that building community trust and rapport is one of the prime actions that go behind their movement.
During the workshop, more than 50 people attended, with people of all ages looking forward to making a sign.
“All of our turnout for protests and events like this have been people who are a bit older,” Tsatos said. “I think that sometimes, the political situation is so overwhelming, especially for younger people, that it’s harder for them to engage in events. It can sometimes feel like a hopeless situation.”
UNR student Leila Saebfar, founder of the University’s ACLU Student Chapter, has always been interested in civil rights and liberties, but wanted to get more involved in recent years.
The criminal justice major finds that attending and hosting events like this are an important part of protesting. She believes it encourages people to go when they see other people coming out and participating in making some signs.
“It makes them feel like ‘I can do this, and I will participate in this protest and protect my democracy,’” Saebfar said. “I also think it’s just a really fun way to do an arts and crafts project while also meeting new people interested in this protest.”
Both the ACLU and 50/50/1 believe that The Holland Project was a great venue to execute this event due to its popularity with the local community. The nonpartisan organization believes that giving an outlet to people in the community is of the utmost importance, which is why they chose to help host the event on Thursday.
“I really encourage everyone to get out and start following their local groups and get involved with their communities, because this is really rewarding work,” Tsatos said.
Alex Psak can be reached via email at apsak@unr.edu or on Instagram @alexandrapsak.
