Sacramento residents are exercising their freedom of speech proudly at a local Costco parking lot. Due to the politically charged nature of the event, many of the individuals volunteering for the event were not comfortable giving out their full names for fear of identification in the media. When asked about their motivation for the event, many expressed feelings of anger and frustration with the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of California by Governor Newsom since March 2020.

People understand the power of the media. Even though some individuals felt more than comfortable standing out in the local shopping centers expressing their views via signs and petitions, some did feel uncomfortable with sharing their personal information, like their full name, for fear of retaliation or identification in the media.

Many people also expressed that they hoped I would accurately portray the event due to the many articles circulating in the local media, depicting these individuals as ‘lunatics,’ or even “Q-anon-ers.” Going out in the community and talking to people during an event like this showed me the ‘power of the people’ – how average everyday citizens can come together to demand a change from the local government, even on smaller levels.