pillows

I’m living in Spain at the moment and I went to a protest on Tuesday night that I didn’t give a shit about. Normally I love protests, but I couldn’t have cared less about this one.

Here is what we were protesting: In Valencia, Spain, governmental budget cuts forced a high school to shut down the heat, lights, water, and electricity. When the students and teachers held a protest, the police responded violently. I realize that anyone who cares about education (and I certainly do) should care about this. It just seemed such a miniscule problem to protest about, and my mind was on the fear I have for what’s happening in the US with reproductive rights.

So on Tuesday night, in Lugo, Spain, on the opposite side of the country, a bunch of people cleared the playing children from the gazebo in the center of the main plaza, climbed in, made a speech denouncing the events in Valencia, and proceeded to make a buttload of noise. The noise started with the clapping after the speech and elevated banging pots, yelling, and blowing shrill-as-hell whistles.

I didn’t want to be there. I went because a friend of a friend helped organize it, and I ended up leaving the gazebo early because my ears couldn’t stand it anymore. I didn’t care if a bunch of shitty high school kids who were probably enjoying the break from the usual didn’t have electricity.

But at the same time, I am ...