Thousands of Sundance festival goers and Park City locals took a break from seeing movies to storm Sundance’s downtown hub in solidarity with nationwide demonstrations. Traffic delays stalled movement throughout the Utah town, but bright spirits prevailed.
Protesters ambling down Main Street waved signs, banged drums and chanted the refrain of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” in the name of equality.
Chelsea Handler led the rally, which was independent of the festival’s organizers, and was joined by the likes of Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Laura Dern, Jessica Williams, Connie Britton, Benjamin Bratt, Kevin Bacon, John Legend, Aisha Tyler, Jennifer Beals and Joshua Jackson.
“This isn’t 1917 ― this is 2017,” Handler said in her speech. “We shouldn’t have to fight for progress we’ve already made, but we’re ready to. It’s our duty to take care of the next generation and to ensure that our children have the same access to the essential services that we all did.”
Meryl Streep was there in spirit: Festival director John Cooper was among many sporting “I’M WITH MERYL” stickers, and the crowd went wild when Bello said Streep’s political Golden Globe speech helped her out of her post-election stupor.
But for such a star-studded gathering, celebrities were hardly the morning’s highlight. There was a widespread sense of community as protesters huddled together, the Park City mountains providing a picturesque backdrop. Volunteers handed out bagels and miniature American flags. Strangers offered one another help through the slush and snow. Even a few dogs attended the event, including one wearing a sign that read “STRONGER TOGETHER.”
Source: Huffington Post
