First, never wear white shoes. This is not a wedding. This is a battlefield of coffee spills, puddles of injustice, and stray cilantro from a distant burrito. Your sneakers will look like they fought a war and lost to a mud puddle.
Spring’s arrival and time change: March marks new beginnings - The
Second, bring a decoy snack. You will be hungry. The march will not start until you finish your granola bar. It’s a rule. The moment you unwrap something crinkly, the drum circle begins, and you must march while chewing. This is the law of the streets.
Third, memorize this fact: In 2017, a climate march in London was delayed by a flock of geese that refused to move from the assembly point. The geese held the line for 28 minutes. A sign was made: “Geese for Climate Justice.” You are not more important than a goose. Accept your place in the food chain.
The Final Answer
So, what time is the march today? The real answer is: The march is at a feeling. It’s at the moment when the energy breaks like a wave, when the drum gets a little louder, when someone yells “Mic check!” and the crowd roars back. That is your time. Not the one on the flyer. The flyer is a suggestion written by a person who hoped you would show up early enough to buy a t-shirt.
If you absolutely need a number, here’s a pro tip: add 30 minutes to the posted start time. Or, just do what my friend Steve does: show up at the after-party. He claims he was at the march. He was “spiritually present.” He is a liar, but he always gets the best snacks.
Now go forth. Lace up your walking shoes. Charge your phone. Leave the white sneakers at home. And remember: the march doesn’t start when you think it does. It starts when the geese allow it.
