They came, they saw, they carried signs

So, Trump and his pals are even challenging the efficacy of the time-space continuum and the very definition of the word long. Not for the first time, as it were. It is a presidency tailor-made for a short attention span.

All of which brings to mind a sign at one of the “Hands Off” protests on the Peninsula Saturday, produced by my friend Paula the Painter: “Quit ruining everything.”

I spent my time at the Redwood City protest, where about 3,000 people lined both sides of El Camino Real for more than two-tenths of a mile. It was an interesting collection of people. The average age, I would guess, looked to be about 50 years. This is notable because the demonstrations that have occurred in the past decade — Black Lives Matter, immigration policies, among others — seemed led almost entirely by young people. These protesters were homeowners and retirees and, among the handful I interviewed, said this was their first protest.

It had an organic feel. The signs were homemade. One couple held up signs they had written on the blank sides of a bag from Susie’s Cakes. When I asked about their signs, the guy said they had recycled all their cardboard. This is, after all, the Peninsula.

While protesters clearly relied on common resources for “Hands Off” messaging, plenty of people put their own spin on things.

A sampling of the ones that caught my fancy: “Keep your tiny hands off my rights”; “Every little thing he does is tragic” (playing off a song by Sting); “All my outrages can’t fit on this sign”; “Got eggs”; “Elect a clown, expect a circus.”

My two favorites: “This is not OK,” a Left Coast form of objection if there ever was one. And: “If you’re looking for a sign, this is it.”

There were upside-down American flags, a signal of distress. One sign read “WTF” and the T was a Tesla logo. As for the F, the associated word — you know which one — turned up with some frequency.

Objections covered a smorgasbord of issues — Medicare, Social Security, trans rights, civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, health care, education, democracy; in essence, the whole ball of wax.

Those interested in casting a critical eye could argue that the demonstration was unfocused or too broad. It could be argued equally that the wide range of commentary is one more example of how broadly Trump has enraged the public. It is likely that if the protest had focused on a single message or outrage that the level of participation would have been quite different.

The reality is that most, if not all, participants here in the deep-blue world of Peninsula politics, are unlikely to have voted for Trump. This would seem to give Trump license to ignore the protests that occurred throughout the country, if, indeed, he felt the need for such license.

But the protesters I talked to were happy just to be there — without any expectations, enjoying the opportunity to say something about what has been going on.

Diana from San Carlos, accompanied by her 20-something daughter Savannah, said, “Our voices need to be heard. Our whole world is being turned upside down.”

Said Gary from Belmont: “You want to do something, however little it is.”

And there you go. People who feel they have been whipsawed by the first 80 days of the Trump administration gathered at one of the busiest intersections in the area, and they were greeted almost constantly by drivers honking their horns in support. Many people said they had felt isolated in their anger and their angst and it was reassuring to be with people who felt the same way — to not feel alone. It was cathartic, and even, joyous. It felt like something, which, universally, is better than nothing.

All of which hearkens back to last week’s masterpiece, which asked when some, or any, Democratic leadership will heave forth and start, you know, leading. It would seem an opportunity is presenting itself to translate protests into something tangible.

Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He co-hosts a podcast/videocast that can be found at TheGamePeninsula.com, and he can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.