People protest to vent fear or anger. To change an action, a policy, the world. To come together, share beliefs, encourage one another, and stand arm-in-arm with fellow citizens.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, protests have bloomed across the country to challenge the expected assault on women's rights, climate denialism, top administrative appointments, xenophobic bans on immigrants and refugees, and more. 

Read More: 17 Must-See Signs From the Women's March

There's been a frenzy of action and organizing. People feel defeated, but they also feel emboldened, ready to claim the future. The next four years could be a high-point of US activism. 

And the best sign of this growing sense of purpose is on the signs that people hold aloft in crowds.

Ivan Cash, Michael Reiner, and Blake Bogosian made a short film showing some of the signs at a recent protest in San Franciso. As the camera languidly drifts throughout the crowd, the voices of protesters animate the words and images of various signs. 

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Demand Equity

This Beautiful Short Film Explores the Meaning Behind Protest Signs

By Joe McCarthy