TheWall of Moms is a group primarily made up of women who identify as mothers, who have demonstrated inGeorge Floyd protests inPortland, Oregon, as well as other groups in U.S. cities includingChicago,Seattle,[1] andTampa, Florida.[2] The group's first protest was attended by approximately 40 women; hundreds to thousands have participated since then.[3][4][5]
A demonstrator inPortland, Oregon, carrying a sunflower, July 24, 2020
Portland's Wall of Moms has been described by some journalists as "a group of mainly white, suburban mothers",[8] but also "includes those who are nonbinary and people who consider themselves mothers".[1] Participants gained national attention for locking arms and chanting during local George Floyd protests.NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says the group demonstrates "the power of moms as activists".[1] The mothers are known for wearing yellow and acting as a barrier between federal agents and other demonstrators. TheCatholic Sentinel andNational Catholic Reporter have noted the participation by local Catholics.[9][10]
Affectionate nicknames for the group include "MomBloc" and "Momtifa".[11] Some participants also carry sunflowers.[12]
Bev Barnum has been credited for creating theFacebook event for the initial protest.[3] The private Facebook group has approximately 17,000 members, as of July 26, 2020.[13]
On July 26, PresidentDonald Trump tweeted, "The line of innocent 'mothers' were a scam that Lamestream refuses to acknowledge, just like they don't report the violence of these demonstrations!"[14]
Raffi released "Portland Moms" as aprotest song in support of theBlack Lives Matter movement and Wall of Moms,[13][15] set to the tune of "Buffalo Gals".[16] He recorded the song with singer Lindsay Munroe and dobro player Ivan Rosenberg, after the idea struck him at 3am. According toWillamette Week's Matthew Singer, "It's a short, simple folk jam, shouting out Black Lives Matter and the Wall of Vets in addition to the song's namesake, with a refrain nodding the nightly protests downtown."[17]
TheBBC called the Wall of Moms "a good example of mainly middle-class, middle-aged white women explicitlynot beingKarens. Instead, the Wall of Moms are seen by activists as using their privilege to protest against the very same systemic racism and classism that Karens actively seek to exploit."[18]
The group inspired participation by similar groups such as "walls" of fathers (such as "DadBloc" or "PDX Dad Pod", atongue-in-cheek reference toDad bod, most known for wieldingleaf blowers and wearing orange construction vests), ChefBloc (with pizza boxes), lawyers (Lawyers for Black Lives, in suits), nurses (inscrubs), teachers (Teachers Against Tyrants, in red or green shirts), and veterans (Wall of Vets).[19][20][21][22][23][24]
^Nattress, Katrina (July 26, 2020)."Raffi Wrote a Song About the Wall of Moms in Portland".Spin.Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. RetrievedJuly 29, 2020.They stand arm-in-arm in between feds and protestors, forming a "wall" of protection and have inspired other protection groups to form, like the Wall of Vets and PDX Dad Pod.
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