Here’s a little something to brighten your week. A woman was recently seen giving Trump and his motorcade the middle finger as it rode through D.C. last week. And the whole ordeal was photographed. While Trump and his posse may not have found it funny, the rest of the Internet sure did.
Juli Briskman was out riding her bicycle on October 28th in Washington when the presidential motorcade passed her. Without a second thought, she flipped the cars the bird. Brendan Smialowski, an AFP photographer, just fortuitously happened to capture it all on camera.
Following the incident, however, Briskman, an anti-Trump activist, was informed of her job termination. In a recent interview with Huffington Post, she had this to say about her actions:
“He was passing by and my blood just started to boil. I’m thinking ‘DACA recipients are getting kicked out. He pulled ads for open enrollment in Obamacare’.
Only one-third of Puerto Rico has power. I’m thinking ‘he’s at a damn golf course again’. I flipped off the motorcade a number of times.”
Following the publication of the photo, Briskman used it as a profile picture on a number of her social media platforms. As the photo increased in circulation online, many labeled her a heroine.
The marketing and communications specialist informed her bosses of the constant attention she’d been receiving. Later, however, and despite the notice, Briskman was called into an unfortunate meeting. Her employers notified her that the company would be “separating” from her.
Akima, the firm at which Briskman worked, held a strict social media policy, which it claimed the woman violated. It cited the image as potentially harmful to the company’s reputation, especially seeing as Akima is a government contractor.
Briskman went on to explain the decisions of her bosses:
“Basically you cannot have lewd or obscene things on your social media. So they were calling flipping him off obscene.”
Though she is currently unemployed, the political activist is now seeking out a new career in an advocacy group. She hopes to work within organizations like Planned Parenthood or PETA. God speed, Juli!
Though freedom of speech is a foundation of our nation’s democracy, companies sometimes have specific regulations about content that can be posted online. Trump probably deserves several middle fingers, but let this simply be a word to the wise about where your picture of flicking someone off gets taken!
Take a look at some others who are finding creative (and hilarious) ways to blast the president.
