Nancypili Hernández, is a Chicano, one who embraces her Mexican roots, from San Francisco. Over a week ago, Hernández was one of the activists that jumped into a construction crane behind the White House and displayed a message for the U.S. population:
“Resist”, as part of an action organized by Greenpeace, only five days after Donald Trump took office as 45th president of the U.S.
What made you participate in a protest in the center of Washington?
I have participated in demonstrations, protests, encampments, art projects and even hunger strikes throughout my life. I have voted in the same neighborhood for all the elections since I turned 18. I have signed petitions, worked for social justice and environmental issues. I have helped raised funds for good causes.
Now that our media and public officers instruct us to accept an illegitimate president that was chosen by a minority of voters, I felt the need to take the protest to a higher level: over 90m high in the air to display a sign over the White House with a group activists committed to resist injustice.
Is it possible to say that this is the birth of an activist movement against Trump?
This weekend, Washington D.C. saw half a million people protesting in the streets against the
inauguration.Three million people marched in several cities in the greatest opposition against someone who was sworn as president in the history of mankind. On the third day of the Trump administration we sent a strong message out there: “Not my president”.
I hope that our protest and with the defiance of our own fears, we are able to inspire others that feel angry with this system so that they are able to challenge themselves and take action in all the ways available to them.
Are you going to continue organizing further protest actions?
I have taken part in direct creative actions and in non-violent civil disobedience: the fight for justice is long and lasts for decades, these will survive Trump administration.
Our actions aim to protect sacred indigenous lands from pipelines that violate their sovereignty, to protect safe water, public education and to hold corporations and politicians accountable, to defy State violence and to defend women and immigrants rights; we will have to become stronger and to come together as repression progresses.
Our dedication for the unity and commitment to justice are the resistance to fear and the divisive hatred that is being projected from this White House.
Do you feel that the U.S. population wants to continue with protest actions?
I was encouraged with the response of so many people who ran into the nearest international airports all over the U.S., only a few days after our protest action, when “Trickytrump” signed the order to arrest all of those who are permanent residents and hold a green card.
People stayed up all night and blocked access to the departing flights until all arrestees were released.
The resistance showed to unjust politics was a mammoth act of unity and solidarity which reminded people of its power to defend our communities from injustice.
What about you?
I will continue teaching future generations in California about the value of life above economic benefits and I will continue working for social and environmental justice.
Regardless of how nice or unpleasant our presidents my seem, I will continue using direct, non-violent action to block our taxes from being used fro war and imprisonment.
If (Trump) wants to build a wall, we will tear it down and we will strive to continue building bridges.