"Wright wanted to show that life was continuing on as normal in Portland, and be a friendly face greeting any immigrants arriving at the ICE facility for appointments. But I didn't want to go by myself, she said. I wasn't sure what to expect. So, she and the other women who would eventually nickname themselves Knitters Against Fascism brought their knitting needles and lawn chairs, and returned week after week."
"At the second protest she attended, Bernstein designed a hat based on the Portland Frog, an inflatable costume that a brigade of protesters wore at similar protests outside the local ICE facility. An embroidered work by Shannon Downey. Photograph: Courtesy of Shannon Downey Small acts can make big change, said Bernstein. She posted the frog hat pattern on her website and a month later learned that a church group had raised $550 for a local food bank by selling hats they'd knit with the pattern."
In early October, Tracy Wright invited fellow knitters to gather outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, carrying knitting needles and lawn chairs. Donald Trump ordered national guard troops deployed to the city, calling it war ravaged and saying ICE facilities were under siege by anti-fascists and domestic terrorists. The knitters, later calling themselves Knitters Against Fascism, returned weekly to present a calm, everyday presence and greet immigrants arriving for appointments. Michele Lee Bernstein designed a frog hat pattern, shared it online, and saw knit hats raise funds for a local food bank; Bernstein donated proceeds to a regional emergency food program amid high need.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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