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| Xfinity Arena © Aaron Everly |
Do you know what happens
when you walk circles around Xfinity Arena for seven hours in hope of getting
some good content to report on during a Trump rally in Everett? You get sore legs, you learn where the
toilets are, and you learn to appreciate the historical flavor of the area.
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| Protester Side © Aaron Everly |
The Trump rally was not
impressive, in fact I will never be emotionally manipulated by the media about
these sorts of things again. I was so
hyped, I could not decide if I would rather wait in the line with the
supporters or wait outside with the protesters, in either case I had to think
quick. With time speeding up and a
growing line, I thought about all those anti-Trump riots and crazy people
yelling into cameras on media outlets, “surely there’s more action outside”, I
thought. I stayed outside with the
protesters, participating objectively.
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| No Access © Aaron Everly |
Around 7pm there were
approximately 200 protesters and 8,000 Trump supporters. That should speak as to which way Everett
leans politically.
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| Trump Rally Line © Aaron Everly |
Outside, there were a few
people serving and spiking profanities like a volleyball match, but then again
I felt people didn’t put much emotion into the words exerted. There were a few instigators, they left as
quickly as they came once they discovered all participants were low
energy. The evangelists, the few determined
to proselytize a form of Christianity with the use of a megaphone, spoke
nonstop for the entire 7-8 hours I was there.
The majority of Trump supporters absorbed all of this runoff like a
rock. Not one person in the Trump line
became irate by a protesting view, opinion, or profanity.
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| Juggling Opinions © Aaron Everly |
Other than the
bipolar atmosphere of the event, in a moment of observation, the buildings
surrounding the arena are brick and filled with character. The streets are clean and you can feel the
energy of growth there. Growth of
restaurants and small business are vibrant, one can only hope that some of that
old flavor architecture can survive in a time of change for some Snohomish County
communities. It is something that I will
have to revisit in the future.
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| Standing Around © Aaron Everly |
Toilets are a commodity. If you ever find yourself waiting in line for
a huge event outside of Xfinity Arena, don’t drink water or eat a burrito 4-5
hours prior. There were no portable
toilets or regular toilets in the area.
Public toilets are located in the courthouse, Long John Silvers, or QFC
(10-15 minute walk). There are
restaurant toilets, but they are only receptive to customers. I don’t know why there aren’t any easy access
toilets available to the public around the arena, but it is something that the
city might want to visit in a growing Everett.