A coalition of seniors that hopes to gain momentum as a movement to educate communities and increase civic engagement gathered in Northridge during a rainy Sunday morning to protest the cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and called on residents to shop locally during the busy holiday season.
They distributed information about “Blackout the System,” a national call to action, asking people not to shop or spend money at large retail stores between Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. Instead, they recommend that if people must shop, they take their dollars to small independent stores in their community.
The protest was co-hosted by two groups: Northridge Indivisible, a volunteer group that defines itself as “grassroots progressives” working to make change starting at the local level, and Northridge Patriots, a group of mostly senior citizens with mobility challenges between the ages of 75 to 100 years old. In walkers and wheelchairs, they braved the weather and held a rally outside the apartment complex where they reside.
They wore large jackets and ponchos to stay dry. They waved signs, which read “Defend Democracy” and “This Is What Democracy Looks Like!”
While the rally was about the upcoming call to action, it wasn’t the only focus. Duski Wanamaker, Northridge Indivisible treasurer, told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol, it was to bring more awareness to the cuts on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, as well as the Raising Canes movement – the outreach arm of Northridge Indivisible.
The 75-year-old is a longtime activist, dating back to when she protested the Vietnam War on the streets of Isla Vista just six months after graduating from high school. Wanamaker recognizes that when people think of activists, they don’t tend to think of seniors, but she hopes to change that perception with the Raising Canes movement.
She said this movement isn’t just about getting together for rallies and waving signs around – it’s about educating both seniors and communities on how federal programs work and why they matter. Wanamaker maintains that, to fight for the future of Medicare and Social Security, more young people need to know the issues and the challenges they face. They could be paying into a system right now that they may not benefit from in the future.
“Our goal is to continue efforts to forge a common knowledge and understanding of each of these programs,” said Wanamaker, “because at some point, they are going to be affected by this, if not already from their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents being affected by this.”
One of their primary goals is to increase civic engagement, as seniors tend to vote more frequently and consistently than youth. Furthermore, she noted that after the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill on July 4 – which will slash spending to Medicare and Medicaid – nobody has been paying attention to the struggles of seniors.
“But the damage isn’t stopping,” Wanamaker said. “It’s continuing, and we’re still out here fighting, along with other issues, to maintain, preserve, retain and sustain these social services. … Look at any rally, you see tons of seniors and disabled people out there. In fact, the No Kings protest held outside CSUN last month was organized by Northridge Indivisible.
“Come join our movement. Show your solidarity with our movement.”
Although she is among the seniors who need a cane to walk, Wanamaker still tries to attend rallies where she can – whether they be on street corners or outside the Social Security offices at various locations in the valley and LA.
In addition to the many issues that present themselves for seniors, Wanamaker and other members joining the Raising Canes movement have faced more than their fair share of adversities and insults.
During their Sunday rally, at least five drivers, she said, purposely tried to get the demonstrators wet by speeding over the flooded lane in front of the sidewalk where they stood. One driver was successful, drenching the entire group.
“I cannot believe someone would be so heartless. That’s almost assault,” Wanamaker said. “My eye is still sore from a tiny piece of gravel or something that got into my left eye.”
But there was also a show of positivity at the rally. A group of young people came by to interview the group so they could spread their message across social media, which Wanamaker hopes will bring in more youth to the Raising Canes movement.
“I don’t care [how many young] people show up and rally if they are dedicated and excited,” Wanamaker said. “We want young people to see that we don’t stop. … This is not a one-time thing.”
And, it’s not a one-and-done rally for the Northridge Patriots either. Mariana Lennon, an organizer for the group, said they first came together back in March after the Department of Government Efficiency laid off thousands of federal employees.
Seeing that no one in her community was coming together to oppose the actions of the Trump administration, the 85-year-old called a meeting within her building to see what they could do about it.
The group started with only six members, but they quickly found it challenging to attend rallies and protests in other parts of the valley. Because of the difficulty getting around due to their advanced age and so few with cars, transportation options were limited.
They eventually decided to hold their own rallies outside their building, which have grown since then. Today, the Northridge Patriots have 70 members and have held a monthly rally every Sunday since Labor Day.
While this recent rally was a call for economic action, Lennon said that it’s also a call to protect our democracy.
“We’re all concerned about our democracy dissolving and [our government] becoming authoritarian,” Lennon said. “The immigration raids that are going on are starting out with people of color, but we believe that because the government has gone into our Social Security records … and they know all about us and where we’re located, we wouldn’t be surprised if they … start coming after everybody they don’t want in the country because they’re opposing this administration.”
It’s that determination to fight for democracy that they decided to call themselves the Northridge Patriots. Typically, when a group includes the word “patriot” in their name, people tend to think they’re conservative and right-wing. The ownership of the term has been taken by Christian Nationalists. But, Lennon said they are all patriots themselves, so they included it in their name to take back the term so it will have a more inclusive positive connotation and not have a divisive and narrow view.
She noted that about a third of the community is Jewish, several of whom have indicated they see parallels between the Trump administration and Nazi Germany. That’s why, when referring to the detention camps filled with immigration detainees, the group instead calls them concentration camps.
It’s also why Lennon feels she just can’t sit by and do nothing, saying, “We’re trying to do our part in pushing back. At least we’re feeling like we’re doing something.”
Northridge Patriots, Lennon said, will continue to hold rallies and is open to meeting with other groups and organizers and taking any action they can that doesn’t require them to travel, including writing letters and making phone calls.
“We have children, grandchildren and some of us have great-grandchildren, and we have lived a wonderful life … and we want to leave that behind,” Lennon said. “We don’t want to leave an authoritarian country when we leave this life.”
To learn more about Northridge Indivisible and the Raising Canes movement, go to https://www.trnindivisible.org/.
Editor Diana Martinez contributed to this article
So excited to read about these activists!
Good article. Rarely do we see much depth in local press regarding natonal issues. Then again, we are in times the challenges of which are new for most Americans. Listening to the experts in lived authoritarianism can be the best way some folks can understand where we are today. Others will have to feel its viscous grip themselves. Either way, when we see the richest of the rich bending their knee to both a demented felon and an oil-drenched foreign crime boss, we know that We the People are the only ones in a position to save ourselves.