Story and photos by Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A coalition led by members of West Seattle Indivisible showed up in the rain this morning for the first of two planned “We Ain’t Buying It“ demonstrations in West Seattle.
They stood on the corners of Fauntleroy Way, SW Alaska, and 41st SW, flanking the West Seattle outlet of Whole Foods Market. WSI members were joined by activists from other local groups, including Defund Musk and Indivisible Vashon. This protest was part of a nationwide campaign urging people to suspend purchasing from Amazon, The Home Depot, and Target, from Thanksgiving through December 1. Whole Foods is a subsidiary of Amazon, which the campaign criticizes both for donating to the Trump inauguration fund and for the company’s labor practices. Organizer Laurie Reinhardt of West Seattle Indivisible estimated 50 or so protesters participated throughout the two hours; we counted about three dozen when we arrived midway through.
We spoke to a few of the participants. The prevailing sentiment was an interest in protesting corporations in a time of skyrocketing inequality, though some expressed other concerns. “This [protest] is about boycotting billionaires. Ordinary people shouldn’t be paying what they’re paying for groceries, rent, and health care.” said Reinhardt. “I don’t want my grandchildren to live in poverty. … Nobody deserves any of this – there are basic things all people need.” said Sue M. “Amazon has a lot of power and needs to use it for good.” suggested Mary F.
Some said they had long been actively boycotting the companies on which “We Ain’t Buying This” is focusing. “I have been boycotting Amazon for the last 5 years, I really hate how they subsume and put out of business small local bookstores. [Those businesses] are just screwed at the expense of everyone else.” said Sue M.
There was also a theme throughout those gathered of reusing pop culture to remind people of their American identity. One protester, who wished to be identified only as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Captain America,” spoke of his reason to take on the costume for the protest. “He’s a character that stood out because he doesn’t like bullies. He’s a great symbol for our times; MAGA and Trump like to portray themselves as the ultimate Americans, but they’re not. Captain America is about what America’s ideals are – not what it settles for.” He noted specifically that the backstory of this superhero, a man rendered into a superhero by the U.S. Government in order to fight fascism, contrasts with the Trump Administration’s efforts to paint anti-fascist protesters as domestic terrorists.
Other participants were dressed as handmaids from Margaret Atwood‘s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the famous novek about the consequences of heavily patriarchal rule under a theonomic version of the United States. They were bearing signs with statistics showing the ways in which reproductive care and the rights of women have gotten worse since 2022’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Despite their concerns, protesters said they also saw hope in the ability to gather for the cause. “More than just political shift or revolution, I want to see spiritual evolution, I want us to be more connected. Our disconnect and our tendency to give our power away [brought us to this political point] – but coming to a protest helps you feel connected with strangers, people that care, and that hope brings more community [for the future].” said “Captain America.”
The ‘We Ain’t Buying It’ campaign will continue until December 1st. West Seattle Indivisible plans to hold another protest at the Westwood Village Target on Black Friday, November 28th, between 8 and 10 AM. Organizer Reinhardt said they will be joined at that protest by members of Southend Indivisible and Vashon Indivisible.
| 22 COMMENTS