I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take part in the March for Science gathering in Boston, Massachusetts this past Saturday (Earth Day). It was an amazing experience to see so many like-minded people in the same place, all fighting for what they believe in. I got many pictures and saw a lot of what was there, and will attempt to describe my experience in this short(er) post.
What is the March for Science?
For those who don't know, the March for Science was a march (obviously!) that took place this past Earth Day in Washington D.C to showcase science and the many benefits it gives us. Thousands of people gathered and marched on Washington to show their support for the subject. It was a giant event, with thousands of people coming together to showcase their believes. One point of clarification I must add before continuing: this march and subsequent protests were not aimed at eliminating religion or anything of the sort, but rather towards creating more open views towards science and the benefits it can provide us with. From education to vaccines, these events were created to try and get more people engaged in science, in the face of a president and community that is known to be hostile towards it.
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the official march in Washington, however I was able to attend a rally or "support group" for it that took place on the Boston Commons on the same day. And I must say, it was a really great experience.
My Experience
Over all, the event was informative and a lot of fun. They had a ton of different activities, from booths than demonstrated simple scientific phenomenons to heart-felt speeches from scientists and activists. I spent about two and a half hours at the event, and got to see many of the different booths and listen to some of the people there talk. On top of this, there were also companies and schools there, as well as representatives of the lobbyist group ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
The event consisted of two different areas: the "kids area" on the left side of the commons, and a "more adult" area. The kids area had booths that showcased science based summer camps and schools, and even some cool gadgets like smoke ring creators. They also had a science show that lasted about a half an hour, and showed some cool optical illusions and phenomenons.
On the adult side of the event, it mostly consisted of guest speakers, and a few lobbyist groups providing information on what they do. The speakers were powerful, and had a lot to say. They talked about the oppression of science in previous years, how science has affected their lives, and how it can benefit ours. There were also a host of different ethnic speakers that provided great points of view, which was awesome to see.
Even though the event in Boston was not an official march, many participants also brought signs that showcased their beliefs on the matter. I thought that they were definitely a highlight of the event, and really showed how much people supported the matter. These signs were not only creative and amusing, but informative and interesting as well. There were some with amazing and important messages, and others that displayed their message through jokes and puns.
The event revolved around many different subjects, from Climate Change, to racial issues, to Native American oppression, to vaccine negativity. It was not focused on one problem in particular, but rather how science can help us to solve most if not all of them. Each booth and speaker shared a different issue, and help to educate the populous on how they can help to solve them.
All in all, I thought the March for Science Rally in Boston was a great experience, and a huge success. It was inspiring to see how many people cared about these issues, and that they were willing to express their concern in public. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, and was able to feel a part of something larger than myself. If given the opportunity, I would definitely want to do something like this again. Thanks for reading.
Credit for images used in this post goes to:
https://satellites.marchforscience.com/
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/march-science-held-cities-world-calls-respect-funding/story?id=46956888
I took all the other images myself!
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