"Are you ready, Los Angeles? Connect!"
It might seem like a small gesture, but Manuel Frederick and Andrew Tisba think holding hands can connect strangers in a way they might not have expected.
After the 2015 terror attack on a Paris nightclub, Frederick and Tisba, from Germany and France respectively, decided to embark on a 50-state tour across the United States promoting peace and unity. They call their movement "Hashtag Connect."
The tour ended in Los Angeles recently.
"It felt like the world was so out of balance, because we have so much wealth, we have so much potential in technology and science, but on the other hand, we have so much division and fear," Frederick said.
Frederick and Tisba spent 18 months traveling across the United States in a jeep decked out with their "#Connect" logo. At each stop, they convinced total strangers to come together for a moment of connection.
"We created this gesture because it's simple and you don't need anything, just your time and someone else," Tisba explained. The gesture is simple but powerful - strangers stand next to each other and cross their arms, palms pressed against their neighbor, creating a united human chain.
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Some of the strangers the duo have connected with are actually well-known faces, including actor Colin Ferrell and politicians Kamala Harris, Eric Garcetti, and Gavin Newsom.
The pair have been filming a documentary about their tour, with some of their videos already up on their YouTube channel.
When they came to Los Angeles, they found a few people on Skid Row shocked by how peaceful they felt with a hand-to-hand connection.
"[I feel] peace and love. When we come together as one, we can conquer the world and everything," one man said.
On the historic Olvera Street, they found an even bigger group to join hands.
"We were a little skeptical at first, but these guys seem to have their hearts in the right place," admitted Willard Romantini, a visitor from Wisconsin.
Rosa Gutierrez, an LA-native, also appreciated the moment of connection. "It felt very beautiful, it felt very, very nice."
Up next, the duo plans to get their documentary out and conduct a similary trip throughout Europe and Africa.
A simple dream to bring the world just a little closer together.
