Other than the time I spent in the Air Force my entire life has been spent in Missoula County. I studied political science at the University of Montana, and today I’m attending a Love Trumps Hate rally with my daughter in Missoula.
What makes Trump’s visit to Missoula so infuriating is that Fort Missoula was a site of Japanese internment during WWII that was run by the INS. In addition the Japanese, Fort Missoula also held a number of Italian sailors who were captured on commercial ships in the Panama Canal Zone and other areas. I wrote a report many years ago about a Japanese man who was sent to Fort Missoula and kept a diary throughout his experience. He was separated from his wife who was sent to a different fort for the duration of the war, and he lost his property, which prior to his internment amounted to about $4,000 in 1940.
I raise the issue of internment today because I understand that Trump is once again tweeting about immigration, and I’m shocked that we are interning people once again. Children are being treated with the most shameful disregard and it looks to me that this is all for the profit of a few who run private prisons and exploit the labor of immigrants and refugees. I’ve heard little to nothing in the local press about Missoula’s role as a host of internment while Trump spews his racist rhetoric and plans to visit.
Missoula is a progressive city in a sea of red. In fact, we are often referred to as the People’s Republic of Missoula by our more conservative neighbors. Missoula had and continues to have a strong labor movement and environmental movement with many conservation and environmental NGOs headquartered here due to Montana’s vast public lands and wilderness. The Trump rally is expected to draw 6,000-8,000.
The Love Trumps Hate rally will last from 2:30-6:30 and will feature speakers and discussion of local candidates and ballot issues. The rally will end at the fairgrounds where voters can vote early, or drop off absentee ballots.
Beautiful weather today so I expect a good turnout.
I will update today as time and my child care duties allow.
Here is a Missoulian article about the various protest actions in Missoula today.
Thursday, Oct 18, 2018 · 11:24:28 PM +00:00 · whiffleberry
Really good energy at the rally and the bus made several trips to the polls. Things kicked off with music and dancing. Then a prayer was offered by an elder of the Salish Nation. I'm not great at estimating crowd size but I'd say at least 500 people were there today at Playfair Park in Missoula. Organizers only had 6 days to plan the event and everything came together very well. Enjoy some pictures of the event below.