After 4 years of protests, her work is done — for now

Lynne Avril gathered the signs in her garage, bright pink, yellow and green poster board printed with capital letters: “NO WALL,” “UNCAGE the CHILDREN,” and “IMPEACH.”

Earlier this week, Avril dumped all but one in the recycling bin.

She made the first one the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration when she joined the Women’s March, playing bass with her blues band on a stage outside the Arizona state Capitol.

Soon after, Avril joined Stand Indivisible AZ and protested on Camelback Road near the offices of Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake.

She went back every Tuesday for four years, except when she traveled.

Avril is an artist, the illustrator of more than 50 children’s books, including a series about the beloved Amelia Bedelia’s childhood adventures.

“I’m the type I’d rather stand out on the corner and be visible,” she said. “It’s more tactile to me. It’s more real.”

People must have seen them on their way to work, week after week, even in the heat, and read the signs. She’s sure it made a difference.

Avril doesn’t think she’ll need the signs anymore, though she waited until the day before Joe Biden’s inauguration to toss them out, just in case.

Already, it feels different.

On his first day in office, the president signed a stack of executive orders, some reversing decisions made by his predecessor on immigration and regulatory changes. He halted construction of the border wall, reversed a travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries and began the process of rejoining the World Health Organization and Paris climate accord.

“It feels like a fresh start,” Avril said. “I’m hoping I don’t have anything to protest about.”

Avril kept one sign, a pink one that said, “CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.”

Just in case.