Rallying in the rain

[By Pete Scully in Davis, California]

There’s a hard rain falling, literally. California has seen some of the biggest rainstorms since I moved out here over a decade ago. Last Friday, the rain was bucketing down when I popped out at lunchtime to sketch the rally at the UC Davis Quad in support of Muslim students, faculty, postdocs and their families affected by the chaos and uncertainty of the recent Executive Order, the travel ban. The showers had thinned the crowd somewhat, but it didn’t stop people coming and sharing their stories beneath the safety of their umbrellas. It was nevertheless hard to hear their voices over the heavy pounding from the storm above, but I’m glad I was able to be there. I stood beneath a large umbrella and captured what I could, adding the paint quickly; occasional raindrops added themselves.