Alternative "Declaration of Independence Day" on July 4

Photos by Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

July 4th is traditionally a U.S. holiday to celebrate independence and freedom. CodePink countered this saying, "There is no true freedom until we are independent from war" and "No one is free until we are all free." They designed their fourth of July "Defund Police, Defund the Pentagon, Fund Communities and Life" car caravan to bring together climate and environmental justice activists, anti-war activists, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Caravaners met up at San Francisco City Hall, then rolled along the streets to the African American Arts and Culture Complex where Naeemah Charles, Public Policy Communications Director at Children's Council of San Francisco, and Kaylah Williams, from SF Democratic Socialists of America Afro-Socialist Caucus, spoke on defunding the San Francisco Police. At this location caravan participants placed flowers on a shrine to Black lives taken by police.

Their next stop was Nancy Pelosi's Pacific Heights house where protesters immediately began painting a message to the Congresswoman, "Pelosi Defund War $." They chalked other slogans on the sidewalk next to her house including one that read, "where we allocate funds speaks to our values." Placards included a boldly printed sign, "I Can't Breathe...No Racist Police." Pelosi is running for another term in Congress, and organizers invited her to debate her opponent, Shahid Butter, on the issue of defunding the Pentagon. Ms. Pelosi did not show up, so Mr. Buttar debated an empty chair with a neon pink sign, "Nancy Pelosi, Candidate for Congress."

These groups joined the CodePink caravan: Defund SFPD, XRSFBay, Catalyst Project, SF Democratic Socialists of America Afrosocialist Caucus, Democratic Socialists of America International Solidarity, Diablo Rising Tide, SF Bay Antiwar Network, Task Force for the Americas, and Veterans for Peace.