Washoe and allies run to stop Minden siren
As Minden sounded its siren at noon on May 28, a group of more than 50 Washoe and their allies shouted together in response, “Stop the siren!” Their defiant cry and a formidable eight-mile group run followed an hour-long protest of the Nevada town’s daily siren blasts.
Minden has sounded a siren each evening nearly continuously since 1921, while Douglas County required Indigenous and other people of color to leave town at sundown until 1974. While town leaders claim the siren’s continued use honors the volunteer fire department and first responders, Washoe and their supporters regard it as a painful reminder of former racist practices.