On Tuesday night, the words "FUCK TRUMP," as well as other political statements, were projected on the Odd Fellows building on Park Street in Alameda, Calfornia.
I live in Alameda, and have for many years.
It's a beautiful, quiet island suburb wedged between San Francisco and Oakland. Our public schools are highly rated and it's known as a safe place to raise kids.
In fact, my friend Sunny jokingly coined it the place "where hipsters come to breed," which is funny because it's true. That bumper sticker already exists.
We have a grand Art Deco movie theatre, a world-famous tiki lounge, and a Fourth of July parade that can make the most disaffected feel a tinge of patriotism.
Life moves a bit slower here, literally. The speed limit is 25 MPH on nearly all of the island, a throwback to when the island had a military presence.
Alameda is so quaint that it earned the apt nickname, "Mayberry by the Bay."
We have our issues, though it has felt as if our sheltered bubble had become remarkably unpoppable until the past couple of years.
Still, it was a surprise to see such powerful words broadcast publicly on our main drag. And it wasn't just "Fuck Trump" being featured, there was a whole slideshow of messages with a distinct "Resist" bent. I'm not complaining, it was simply something I'd more expect to see in one of our other, more politically-active, East Bay cities like Berkeley.
A photo and a video of the projections were posted in several closed Facebook groups created for Alameda residents, as well as in the public-facing Resistance SF Facebook page. In the closed groups, there is quite a heated debate. Most seem for the bold projections, though some worry "about the children." Others are clearly pro-Trump and completely opposed to the messaging.
The man responsible was unavailable for comment but his voice can be heard describing his giant lighted messages in the video. He writes, in one of the closed groups, "I projected this tonight. Shining light is a peaceful way to resist."
