Decorated straw hats bobbed in the midday sun as the group marched past the storefront. Rather than enjoying a quiet retirement, this gathering of vibrant older women spent their afternoon hoisting hand-painted signs and leading energetic chants, drawing the eyes of every shopper walking by.
These are the Raging Grannies, part of a protest movement that began in Canada in the 1980s. The movement now includes more than 80 chapters worldwide, according to the Raging Grannies’ official website. According to Ruth Robertson — known as Granny Ruth, a member for more than 20 years — the name itself is a statement: “Grannies” depicts warmth, domesticity, and quiet retirement, but “raging” blows the whole image apart, she said.
“We aren’t baking cookies,” Robertson said. “We’re out protesting.”
The costumes — decorated straw hats, colorful aprons, and layered skirts — are an important part of the practice, helping the Grannies grab the attention of passersby, the press, and people who might otherwise have walked right past the protest.
“People like you, and the press, come right up and ask us questions,” Robertson said. “And then we’re able to get heard.”
What sets the Grannies apart from younger activist groups is the decades of experience and perspective that come with age. The Bay Area chapter has been active since 2000, and members have watched decades of wars, elections, and crises unfold.
“We speak from the perspective of having lived through wars, including some of us who were alive during World War II,” Robertson said. “We’ve never seen anything good come of it. It’s kind of funny when people say ‘the war,’ and we’re like, which one?”
For Robertson, however, that doesn’t make them cynical towards young activists. If anything, it makes them appreciative.
At a recent Earth Day rally organized by a Palo Alto student group, a young protester’s sign particularly stood out to the Grannies: “You will die of old age, but we will die of climate change.”
“We would never have thought of that phrase,” Robertson said. “That came from youth. That was really good.”
On May 9, the Grannies joined protesters in a major immigrant rally in San Jose, marking the 20th anniversary of a 2006 protest against an anti-immigration bill that brought more than 200,000 people to the city. The Grannies showed up in their signature costumes among the largely Latino crowd.
The Grannies’ presence became a sign of support, showing the crowd that older majority white activists also stood with immigrant communities, Robertson said.
The chapter has seen its fair share of change through the years, members move away, retire, or fall ill — but the group has never stopped showing up.
“We do appreciate and love the activism of younger people, because it’s your world.” Robertson said. “It’s this world that you all are inheriting.”