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Today, Local Activists To Join Hands at City Hall As Call To Action For Free Speech, Tolerance and the Environment

Published on Saturday, December 3, 2016 | 5:27 am
 

Members of a number of local advocacy groups are expected to gather in front of City Hall Saturday afternoon and join hands in a circle of affirmation to display commitment to tolerance, free speech and environmental sustainability in Pasadena.

The peace rally comes in response from residents who are concerned about what the recent election may mean for the safety of people who are subject to discrimination, and for the city’s collective efforts to address climate change.

Members from the local groups Transition Pasadena and Complete Streets Coalition helped organize the rally and bring in over eight organizations total in a call to action that will give people a chance to learn how to get involved, right here in Pasadena.

“This rally is in response to the Presidential election, but more importantly it’s in response to the reaction of the election. Right after the election there was an increase in hate crimes and we want o affirm commitment as Pasadena residents to make sure that Pasadena promotes tolerance, free speech and commitment to the environment,” said rally organizer Blair Miller.

Saturday’s upcoming rally is inspired by a similar rally that took place in Oakland last month called “Hands Around the Lake” where thousands of people gathered in unity around the city’s Lake Merritt shortly after the election results were announced to promote peace and solidarity, according to Miller.

This event resonated with Miller after hearing about experiences from friends that participated and drew inspiration to bring a similar gathering to the streets of Pasadena.

“It was really important for them to be with people who had similar concerns. It’s important to get together with like minded folks and support each other when confronting issues that take a lot of effort and energy to address,” said Miller.

Participants will gather in front of City Hall on Garfield Ave. and link hands in a circle as a peaceful message that represents city-wide unity.

“The circle will affirm our commitment to these values we stand for,” said Miller.

While the political climate is a driving force of concern for many, the Earth’s climate is also a big concern.

“We stand for the environment which will also be increasingly oppressed by human influence, causes and by political direction. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together and say ‘We’re still Pasadena. We still have all of the same values we’ve always had of being neighborly and supporting each other’,” said fellow organizer and Co-Founder of Transition Pasadena Therese Brummel.

Transition Pasadena was created in 2010 and it is a branch of the Transition Network, an international organization founded by Rob Hopkins in England around 2008, that consists of local groups that are concerned with environmental issues dealing with climate, fossil fuels, consumption and more.

It most notably established an 8,000 square foot community farm at Pasadena’s Throop Church as well as “Repair Cafe” — a group that links local handy people to folks in need of free repair of all kinds, including clothing, appliances, bikes, furniture, electronics, and more.

“We’re about building local resilience,” said Brummel. “Ideally our goal is to create an atmosphere in our city where people can learn to live more locally, less wastefully, less consumerism, and more dependence on our legs for walking and our bicycle for riding as opposed to driving fossil fuel automobiles.”

The collective effort stands true to the philosophy behind Saturday’s rally by including a “call to action” portion that will take place at Day One, a non-profit with a 29-year history of providing culturally-sensitive public health education, that will feature eight groups with tables and stations for the public to learn about how to get involved.

“Day One is a nice, contained space where they can rally. We always believe in empowering communities to use their voice,” said Day One Executive Director Christy Zamani who went on to say that Day One is not directly related to the messages from these groups, but are merely a venue and supporter of the rally.

Featured call to action groups include YWCA Pasadena, Planned Parenthood, League of Women Voters, Pasadena Auduban, the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center and the organizers Transition Pasadena and Complete Streets Coalition.

“We added the call to action because it’s important right now for people who are concerned about what might happen after this election to find ways to get involved locally,” said Miller.

Pasadena citizens will come together for “Hands Around Pasadena” on Garfield Avenue in front of City Hall on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. followed by a face-to-face with local community groups at Day One located across the street at 175 Euclid.

For more information about Transition Pasadena, visit http://www.transitionpasadena.org.

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