Wall of Moms explained

The Wall of Moms is a group primarily made up of women who identify as mothers, who have demonstrated in George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon, as well as other groups in U.S. cities including Chicago, Seattle,[1] and Tampa, Florida.[2] The group's first protest was attended by approximately 40 women; hundreds to thousands have participated since then.[3] [4] [5]

Background

See main article: Murder of George Floyd, George Floyd protests, List of George Floyd protests in the United States, George Floyd protests in Oregon, George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon and 2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States.

Mothers, wives, and other female relatives have come together to protest state-sponsored violence and politicized police actions in multiple countries, including Argentina (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo), China (Tiananmen Mothers), Cuba (Ladies in White), Iran (Mourning Mothers, Mothers of Khavaran), Mexico (mothers of the disappeared), Russia (Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia), Sri Lanka (mothers of the disappeared), and Turkey (Saturday Mothers).[6] [7]

Description and membership

Portland's Wall of Moms has been described by some journalists as "a group of mainly white, suburban mothers",[8] but also "includes those who are nonbinary and people who consider themselves mothers".[1] Participants gained national attention for locking arms and chanting during local George Floyd protests. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says the group demonstrates "the power of moms as activists".[1] The mothers are known for wearing yellow and acting as a barrier between federal agents and other demonstrators. The Catholic Sentinel and National Catholic Reporter have noted the participation by local Catholics.[9] [10]

Affectionate nicknames for the group include "MomBloc" and "Momtifa".[11] Some participants also carry sunflowers.[12]

Bev Barnum has been credited for creating the Facebook event for the initial protest.[3] The private Facebook group has approximately 17,000 members, as of July 26, 2020.

Reactions

On July 26, President Donald Trump tweeted, "The line of innocent 'mothers' were a scam that Lamestream refuses to acknowledge, just like they don't report the violence of these demonstrations!"[13]

Raffi released "Portland Moms" as a protest song in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and Wall of Moms,[14] [15] set to the tune of "Buffalo Gals".[16] He recorded the song with singer Lindsay Munroe and dobro player Ivan Rosenberg, after the idea struck him at 3am. According to Willamette Week Matthew Singer, "It's a short, simple folk jam, shouting out Black Lives Matter and the Wall of Vets in addition to the song's namesake, with a refrain nodding the nightly protests downtown."[17]

The BBC called the Wall of Moms "a good example of mainly middle-class, middle-aged white women explicitly not being Karens. Instead, the Wall of Moms are seen by activists as using their privilege to protest against the very same systemic racism and classism that Karens actively seek to exploit."[18]

Similar groups

The group inspired participation by similar groups such as "walls" of fathers (such as "DadBloc" or "PDX Dad Pod", a tongue-in-cheek reference to Dad bod, most known for wielding leaf blowers and wearing orange construction vests), ChefBloc (with pizza boxes), lawyers (Lawyers for Black Lives, in suits), nurses (in scrubs), teachers (Teachers Against Tyrants, in red or green shirts), and veterans (Wall of Vets).[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Lawsuit

On July 27, 2020, the nonprofit organization Protect Democracy and Perkins Coie filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Wall of Moms, Don't Shoot Portland, and several individual protesters against the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Protective Service, the Department of Justice, and the heads of these federal agencies.[25] [26] [27] [28] Don't Shoot Portland and the Wall of Moms coordinated efforts during the protests,[3] and the suit alleges that the defendants "violated [plaintiffs'] constitutional rights, went beyond legal authority and were directed by someone not formally confirmed in their role". The suit also seeks to limit federal law enforcement to protecting federal property and to bar them from using specific actions, such as excessive crowd-control measures and custodial detentions without probable cause. The case was ongoing as of January 5, 2021.[29]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: What the 'Wall of Moms' Protests Say About Motherhood, Race in America. NPR.org. July 29, 2020. NPR. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200729101335/https://www.npr.org/2020/07/28/896174019/what-the-wall-of-moms-protests-say-about-motherhood-race-in-america. July 29, 2020. live.
  2. News: July 28, 2020. Trump in Tampa Friday, 'Wall of Moms' and Protests Planned. July 29, 2020. The Free Press. en-US. Tampa, Florida.
  3. News: A Group of Moms Formed a Human Wall to Protect Portland Protesters from Federal Officers. July 29, 2020. BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200723134559/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/moms-human-wall-portland-protest-federal-officers. July 23, 2020. live.
  4. News: McGreal. Chris. July 21, 2020. 'I wanted to take action': behind the 'Wall of Moms' protecting Portland's protesters. en-GB. The Guardian. July 29, 2020. 0261-3077. https://web.archive.org/web/20200723194628/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/21/trump-federal-agents-portland-protests-moms. July 23, 2020. live.
  5. News: Hardgrave. Alex. Nguyen. Ryan. July 24, 2020. 'Standing next to our sisters': Shared experiences with Portland's Wall of Moms. July 29, 2020. The Oregonian. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726110013/https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/07/the-people-behind-portlands-wall-of-moms.html. July 26, 2020. live.
  6. News: Barajas. Julia. July 23, 2020. From Portland to Buenos Aires, mothers unite in protests. Los Angeles Times. live. July 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725010136/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-07-23/worldwide-mothers-protests-against-sensed-injustice. July 25, 2020.
  7. News: Taub. Amanda. July 25, 2020. Mothers' Power in U.S. Protests Echoes a Global Tradition. The New York Times. live. July 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726052003/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/25/world/americas/protest-moms-power-police.html. July 26, 2020.
  8. News: July 23, 2020. Portland's Wall of Moms protest group describe the abuse they've received from federal officers. July 29, 2020. The Independent. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200723180004/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/portland-wall-of-moms-protest-federal-officers-trump-a9635066.html. July 23, 2020. live.
  9. News: A Catholic mother explains why she protests. July 29, 2020. Catholic Sentinel. en-us. November 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211107172514/https://catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/A-Catholic-mother-explains-why-she-protests/2/35/40493. dead.
  10. News: July 28, 2020. Catholics join protests and 'Wall of Moms' in Portland, Oregon. July 29, 2020. National Catholic Reporter. en.
  11. News: 'MomBloc' and protest first-timers march into Portland streets, moved by the aggressive tactics of federal agents . Marissa J. . Lang . . July 21, 2020 . July 29, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200723164733/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/21/mombloc-protest-first-timers-march-into-portland-streets-moved-by-aggressive-tactics-federal-troops/ . July 23, 2020 . live .
  12. News: July 22, 2020. In pictures: Portland's 'Wall of Moms'. en-GB. BBC News. July 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722221314/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53504151. July 22, 2020. live.
  13. News: Baker. Sinéad. Trump called the 'Wall of Moms' that formed to defend Portland protesters from federal agents a 'scam'. July 29, 2020. Business Insider.
  14. July 26, 2020. Raffi Wrote a Song About the Wall of Moms in Portland. July 29, 2020. Spin. 0886-3032.
  15. Web site: Perry. Douglas. July 27, 2020. Raffi turns beloved Americana tune into Portland protest song. July 29, 2020. The Oregonian. en. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094228/https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/07/raffi-turns-beloved-americana-tune-famous-thanks-to-its-a-wonderful-life-and-bruce-springsteen-into-portland-protest-song.html. live.
  16. July 27, 2020. Raffi shares ode to 'Portland Moms' in new Black Lives Matter protest song: Stream. July 29, 2020. Consequence of Sound. en-US. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094133/https://consequence.net/2020/07/raffi-portland-moms-black-lives-matter-protest-song-stream/. live.
  17. News: Legendary Children's Entertainer Raffi Has Written a Song About the Wall of Moms. July 29, 2020. Willamette Week. en-US. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094144/https://www.wweek.com/music/2020/07/25/legendary-childrens-entertainer-raffi-has-written-a-song-about-the-wall-of-moms/. live.
  18. News: 2020-07-30. What exactly is a 'Karen' and where did the meme come from?. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-10-12. October 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201014172912/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53588201. live.
  19. News: Reinicke. Carmen. 'Wall of vets' join Portland protests to protect free speech. July 29, 2020. Business Insider. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094157/https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-of-vets-join-portland-protests-to-protect-demonstrators-2020-7. live.
  20. News: Baker. Mike. July 25, 2020. A 'Wall of Vets' Joins the Front Lines of Portland Protests. en-US. The New York Times. July 29, 2020. 0362-4331. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726103356/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/25/us/a-wall-of-vets-joins-the-front-lines-of-portland-protests.html. July 26, 2020. live.
  21. News: Lang. Marissa J.. Leaf-blower wars: How Portland protesters are fighting back against tear gas and forming 'walls' of veterans, lawyers, nurses. July 29, 2020. The Washington Post. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726161044/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/26/leaf-blower-wars-how-portland-protesters-are-fighting-back-against-tear-gas-forming-walls-veterans-lawyers-nurses/. July 26, 2020. live.
  22. News: Hardgrave. Alex. July 24, 2020. Dad with leaf blower arrested Tuesday, says he was taken to ground by federal officers during Portland protest. July 29, 2020. The Oregonian. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725220909/https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/07/dad-with-leaf-blower-arrested-tuesday-says-he-was-taken-to-ground-by-federal-officers-during-portland-protest.html. July 25, 2020. live.
  23. Web site: Raffi Wrote a Song About the Wall of Moms in Portland . Katrina . Nattress . Spin . July 26, 2020 . July 29, 2020 . They stand arm-in-arm in between feds and protestors, forming a "wall" of protection and have inspired other protection groups to form, like the Wall of Vets and PDX Dad Pod. . July 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094134/https://www.spin.com/2020/07/raffi-wrote-a-song-about-the-wall-of-moms-in-portland/ . live .
  24. Web site: Healthcare workers, union workers, teachers join Portland protests . Mechanic . Allison . . 25 July 2020 . July 29, 2020 . Portland, Oregon . July 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094157/https://katu.com/news/local/healthcare-workers-union-workers-teachers-join-protesters-at-justice-center . live .
  25. News: Flanigan. Kaitlin. July 27, 2020. Lawsuit: Trump using feds in Portland to create national police force. July 27, 2020. KOIN. Portland, Oregon. March 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210311174156/https://www.koin.com/news/protests/lawsuit-trump-using-feds-in-portland-to-create-national-police-force/. live.
  26. News: Bernstein. Maxine. July 27, 2020. Wall of Moms, Don't Shoot Portland sue federal Homeland Security Department. The Oregonian. July 27, 2020. March 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210311174156/https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/07/wall-of-moms-dont-shoot-portland-sue-federal-homeland-security-department.html. live.
  27. News: Miller. Ryan W.. Portland protesters, Wall of Moms sue Trump administration over use of tear gas, rubber bullets. July 29, 2020. USA Today. en-US. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094200/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/28/portland-blm-protestors-wall-moms-sue-trump-administration/5524660002/. live.
  28. News: Madeline. Holcombe. 'Wall of Moms' sues federal agencies over Portland protest violence. July 29, 2020. CNN. July 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711094147/https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/us/portland-protests-wall-of-moms-lawsuit/index.html. live.
  29. News: Kempa. Emily. July 27, 2020. Don't Shoot Portland v. Wolf. January 14, 2021. Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Michigan. January 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220114232347/https://clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=17742/. dead.

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