Y'all SHOWED UP ✊
Plus: Rock Hill Pride Week is here! 🏳️🌈
2500+ in Rock Hill this weekend.
Y’all are incredible and we are so grateful for your presence and attendance! And you brought so many food donations with you that we ran out of room in the boxes and just started filling up the trunk — your donations are an incredible service to the community and we appreciate you so much. We’ll be distributing the donations to local food banks and community food groups today.
Across the country, 12.1 MILLION people hit the streets Saturday for #NoKings. Based on this Wikipedia listing, that puts Saturday’s protests in the top 3 largest single-day protests in U.S. history.
What we also want to note: These numbers don’t include the amount of support from people who drive by and from people who can’t make it out for one reason or another. This means there are even more likeminded people than we’re counting, and that’s important to remember, especially in areas like ours where it can be easy to feel like the only one.
We’re compiling pics and videos now, and will share them on social media this coming week (all our links are here: YorkCoRising.start.page) If you’d like us to share yours, please email them to organizers@YorkCoRising.com.
One last note: There was one arrest during Saturday’s event in Rock Hill. A Trump supporter was witnessed throwing a bottle at a vehicle in the parking lot, cursing loudly and saying sexual things and making explicitly sexual gestures to attendees. As he was not willing to de-escalate, a few officers came in, removed him from the parking lot, and left. An organizer did speak with police before they left to confirm what was happening. The disruptive man’s friend left a few minutes later.
There was also a group of 5-6 Trump supporters who weren’t really counter-protesting, just standing around talking and mildly heckling in their Trump gear. They got bored and left after talking with organizers and no one else engaging them.
We appreciate each and every one of the 2500+ folks who came out holding to the commitment to not engage with hecklers or counter-protestors, and to de-escalate as needed.
We’ll have more information soon about our next day of action, but for now: mark your calendars for June 28. Same spot. 2-4pm.
🥁 It’s Rock Hill Pride Week! 🏳️🌈
Rock Hill Pride: June 16-22
Pride is protest. Pride is resistance. Pride is community.
Whether you’re a member of the queer community or an ally, we hope you’ll come out and join us at Rock Hill Pride this year!
We can’t wait to see you out there 🏳️🌈
And special for the youth…
We are so excited to host the first Rock Hill Pride Prom experience for queer youth 😍
Community, fun, enchanting decor, awesome music, yummy food (including food for folks with dietary restrictions), and more than a few surprises tucked up our sleeves.
We encourage teens to bring their whole selves and enjoy a fun experience alongside their peers (and adult chaperones). Dress code is “you do you, boo” and allies are welcome.
Several community members have donated tickets for teens who want to attend. Those tickets are available upon request — no requirements for approval or any funny business. Just let us know you’d like to use a donated ticket.
If you are a teen between the ages of 16-19 or you know a teen between those ages, please send them this info. Questions? Email: PrideProm@YorkCoRising.com
New here?
You can also read our FAQ here!
Who is York County Rising? We’re a volunteer group of neighbors united in the fight against fascism. We are unaffiliated but we partner with national organizations like 50501, Working Families, MoveOn, and dozens more. We also partner with local organizations as we work toward building a coalition of supporting each other with a common goal.
What does York County Rising do? We put on regular actions every two weeks (every other Saturday on Dave Lyle, same spot as this weekend) as well as other days of action and rapid response actions as we can. We also host Community Meetings where we discuss upcoming issues, actions, and where we want to direct our time. And we host a Community Calendar with events from various organizations.
Why am I receiving this newsletter? You either signed up at the event Saturday or through Mobilize/Women’s March.
How often will you email me? We aim for one newsletter a week. On weeks with an action, you may receive one or two extras with quick reminders.
Will you hire me? We don’t have any employees and none of us are paid, but you are more than welcome to join us as a volunteer! (Please do!)
Who funds you? We do. You do. All purchases are made from our own pockets or from donations we receive from the community, and many community members also contribute their own supplies (like the tents you saw Saturday from Sun City and the Lancaster County Dems!). There are no paychecks and no big pots of money to tap. (If someone knows how to get one of those mythical Soros checks though, let us know 😂)
Are there any supplies you are in need of? We will never turn down more water for events. Currently, we’re on the hunt for a better sound system, as these events have outgrown our original bullhorns and speakers. If you have a speaker setup or know of someone who does, and would be willing to lend it for live events, we would be incredibly grateful! We would also love to see more folks bringing their instruments and playing for the crowd.
Are you going to ask me for money? Nope. We don’t handle money other than cash donations when folks want to contribute to purchasing water, sign materials, etc. and we will never request donations.
I could do this better. Please do. Seriously. We need as many of us rowing in the same direction as possible, and we welcome your contribution whether you are organizing with us, organizing with another group, or doing your own thing. There’s no competition here, and we’re happy to collaborate and support. We’re also always open to feedback about how we can do better.
I don’t want this newsletter. No problem! You can unsubscribe at the bottom.
Get Involved
Join our volunteer teams! Email organizers@YorkCoRising.com or join the Discord.
Join us on Discord to be part of the behind-the-scenes conversation and planning, meet community members, and stay connected between events.
Daily actions you can take are listed on our Resources page.
Find our Community Calendar here.
Invite a friend to join you at an action!