By Mike James
It’s disheartening to think that, in many ways, we’re right back where we started in 2017.
A powerful reminder that the fight isn’t over, every page of the OB Rag currently features an image of a “human banner”— showing hundreds of protesters spelling out the word RESIST!
March 4th marks the eighth anniversary of Impeach on the Beach, also known as March 4 Impeachment—a demonstration against the 45th president, Donald J. Trump. On that day in Ocean Beach (San Diego), hundreds gathered to form two human banners: RESIST! and IMPEACH! Captured by drone footage, the event received nationwide coverage.
What many didn’t know was that the protest came together in just a few weeks.
The Idea Takes Shape
It all started when my friend and fellow OBcean, Deanna Polk, sent me an image of a RESIST! human banner formed by thousands of protesters on Ocean Beach (San Francisco) on February 11. Along with the image, she wrote: “Let’s do this!.”
I naively responded immediately: “Why not!”
My research led me to Brad Newsham, the organizer behind the San Francisco event. A former Haight-Ashbury hippie turned taxi driver, travel writer, and activist, Brad had been orchestrating human banner protests throughout the Bay Area for years. When I reached out, he enthusiastically offered his support.
And, of course, if you’re going to organize a protest in Ocean Beach, there’s no better ally than OB’s original rabble-rouser, Frank Gormlie, editor of the OB Rag.
Frank connected us with the local chapters of Indivisible, a nationwide grassroots movement working to “save American democracy” from Trump’s administration.
Planning the Protest
I debated whether to replicate Brad’s RESIST! banner or spell out IMPEACH!. Frank suggested we do both. I wanted to hold the event at Dog Beach, while he preferred the area near the Ocean Beach Pier. We compromised—Frank would coordinate IMPEACH! at the pier, and I would organize RESIST! at Dog Beach.
By mid-February, I created a Facebook event page, and within days, hundreds had marked themselves as “Going” or “Interested,” thanks in large part to the efforts of the OB Rag and Indivisible.
Brad sent me detailed instructions on organizing a human banner, including a grid layout of RESIST!. Following his advice, I picked up supplies—tape measures, colored string, and survey marker flags. (Ironically, I later realized I had bought them from Home Depot, a company owned by a major Trump donor—oops.)
The Big Day
On a personal note, I had already booked a long-overdue vacation to Mexico City and only returned days before the event—unfortunately I brought back with me a nasty case of Montezuma’s Revenge. The night before the big day, I found myself in urgent care.
But fortified with Pepto-Bismol, I arrived at Dog Beach a few hours before the event, nervous as only a handful of people trickled in.
The plan was for the RESIST! group to go first, then march to the pier to help fill in the IMPEACH! banner Frank was organizing. With a drone operator documenting everything, we had to complete the banners on schedule.
Forty-five minutes before the official start time, a small group of volunteers and I marked out the letters in the sand. Meanwhile, Frank and his crew did the same near the pier.
Twenty minutes before go-time, I realized we might not have enough people. I called Frank and asked him to send reinforcements.
Then, miraculously, with just five minutes left, people began pouring in from all directions. I used a bullhorn to direct them into place, adjusting formations via the drone’s monitor. It wasn’t perfect, but we got the shot. The drone recorded as the crowd cheered and waved. My illness? Completely forgotten.
Then, the real magic happened.
Marching for Impeachment
As planned, the RESIST! crowd began the five-minute walk to the pier to join the IMPEACH! group. It was an incredible sight—hundreds marching along the shoreline, beachgoers watching in amazement. I ran between groups, thanking friends and strangers alike.
At the foot of Newport Avenue, we merged with the IMPEACH! group. Without the drone operator to guide us, Frank and I did our best to direct people into position. The final formation was somewhat wonky, but from above, the letters were clear: IMPEACH! The image spread across the country.
A Lasting Legacy
For my first attempt at organizing a human banner, I was thrilled with the outcome. More importantly, the message reached people feeling isolated and discouraged—it was a reminder that they were not alone. A reminder to always RESIST!
Since then, I’ve coordinated several more human banners, but the highlight was in June 2019, when I teamed up with my mentor, Brad Newsham, for a simultaneous event on the Ocean Beach shores in both San Diego and San Francisco. We repeated the word that would finally become a reality later that year: IMPEACH!
Maybe it’s time to do it again.
Why not!
YouTube Drone Video:
San Francisco Resist Human Banner – February 11, 2017
https://sfist.com/2017/02/11/photo_du_jour_people_spell_out_resi/
News Coverage of the IMPEACH on the Beach:
https://globalnews.ca/video/3288601/anti-trump-protesters-spell-out-impeach-resist-on-beach-in-san-diego/
https://www.10news.com/news/rallying-cries-to-impeach-and-resist-trump-spelled-out-on-sands-of-ocean-beach
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/impeach-spelled-out-at-dog-beach-for-anti-trump-movement/33518/
Hundreds gather to support, protest Trump in dueling San Diego rallies
Related OB Rag articles on human banners
‘Impeach’ at Ocean Beach in San Diego and San Francisco – Updated
Join Us in a Human Banner “VOTE!” on the Sands of Ocean Beach – Sat., Apr. 21 Dog Beach
Human Peace Sign at Dog Beach in OB in Solidarity With Ukraine
‘Impeach’ at Ocean Beach in San Diego and San Francisco – Updated
I found myself smiling at this agonizing and all-too-familiar, pit of the stomach feeling that marks most all aspects of organizing a human banner:
“Twenty minutes before go-time, I realized we might not have enough people. I called Frank and asked him to send reinforcements. Then, miraculously, with just five minutes left, people began pouring in from all directions.”