"It is one of a vast number of issues," said Bill Lewis, a member of Occupy Boston who traveled to Tampa to protest the RNC. "All issues are related to how the 1 percent is preventing democracy for everyone."
Mike Long, one of the FCAN organizers of the rally, believes that voter suppression is one of the biggest issues facing this election — and he believes that it is a GOP problem.
“It’s really a Republican party problem," Long said. "It’s been seen in states across the country. People’s rights to vote should not go against the agenda of a political party."
Long and FCAN have worked with U.S. Action, a national organization that helps affiliates organize rallies for their national campaign. Tuesday's rally, according to Emma Einhorn, a field associate from Virginia, was part of U.S. Action’s "Jobs for the 99%, not tax cuts for the 1%" campaign.
The rally began like most with musical entertainment, followed by a wide variety of speakers and performers. Two young adults danced while musicians sang of fighting alongside Mexico, but the most notable aspect early in the rally was the media coverage.
With more than 15,000 media personnel in Tampa this week, even a small rally like this one attracted the eyes and camera lenses of dozens. For the majority of the rally, a small group of protesters crowded around the stage, circled by a vast ring of media.
Other protesters took refuge under the trees surrounding the stage. One such group held a "Keep Your Hands Off Our Medicare" sign. Though affordable healthcare is a passion of Fran Goldbers, a nurse at Trinity Medical Center in New Port Richey, she was fired up about voter suppression.
"The reason I came here today is because of voter suppression," Goldbers said. "I think they asked themselves, ‘How did Obama get elected?’ and then decided, 'Suppress those voters.'"
Goldbers also attended the rally to meet like-minded individuals and network with future organizers like Sandy Miller.
"They are eliminating the way people can vote," Miller said. "We need to raise awareness to people who maybe are voting against their own self-interest."
Overall, the rally was direct and to the point, a nice break for the out-of-state reporters battling Tampa’s heat. A plethora of speakers, including Latino voters from Miami and Tampa, shared their own experiences with voter suppression and urged the crowd to take action.
"I speak for the people, all of humanity," rapped Crown, a local member of the African Socialist Movement who performed. "If we don’t get it right, right now, we’re going to lose. They say the RNC is in town, I say they got to go."
