Hundreds of Islanders gathered Saturday for protests against the Trump administration and what organizers saw as a push towards authoritarianism.
As part of a nationwide No Kings Rally, Vineyarders of all ages took to Five Corners in Vineyard Haven and the Aquinnah Circle with signs and flags to protest the Trump administration and its policies.
The Vineyard Haven protest, which had several hundred people lined along the street, was co-hosted by Indivisible Martha’s Vineyard, Showing Up For Racial Justice on MV and the Unitarian Universalist Society of MV.
State Rep. Thomas Moakley, the Island’s representative in the State House, addressed the crowd that had amassed at the busy intersection.
“Let us recognize the good work that is done in our own community, with our community leaders, with our nonprofits, with our local governments,” he said. “If you can reach out to one another and be those messengers and recognize the good work that you’re doing, then we can be the tiny ripples of hope that the original Robert F. Kennedy taught.”
He called out the recent events that President Donald Trump and his administration has been implementing.
“We see federal agents pulling people here in our own community and refusing to answer questions about who are they and what are the tactics that are being used,” Mr. Moakley said. “We’re seeing our trans youth being targeted by federal policy and the military being deployed in American cities.”
Along with constant honks of support from cars driving through the intersection, Lisa Pimentel brought her trumpet to energize the crowd.
“The trumpet is easy to carry, it’s very loud, and it has a lot of rah rah themes that go with it,” she said.
Ms. Pimentel came to the protest out of worries about human rights.
“I’m out here because I feel like there is a narcissist president who is trying to take over the country as a monarch, and all the things that go with that, like all the human rights, all the treatment of people, all the treatment of all kinds of people and the values of the United States that we were built on,” she said.
She felt a sense of unity with her community at the rally.
“It feels good to know you’re around people that care about other people,” she added.
Eleven-year-old Eliza Cronin attended her first rally with her mother Jennifer.
“It’s important [to be here] because it is happening right now and not in the future or in the past, and it’s something that a lot of people have very strong opinions about,” Eliza said.
Jennifer brought Eliza to the voting booth in November as she voted. In turn, Eliza was the one who had the idea to come out to the rally.
“I’m really stepping outside of my comfort zone,” Jennifer said. “I’ve just never been one to step out. But I’ve never been more motivated to stand out in the rain today.”
Including and listening to the next generation is essential, according to Jennifer.
“That’s what we want from them,” she said. “That’s what we want to teach them, is to speak up for what they believe in and stand up for it.”
Kelley Ellsworth brought her sister, Katherine, to her first protest. Both sisters had paper crowns on their heads, with “no” spelled out in pipe cleaners.
“In 1776 we decided we didn’t want any kings, and we’re not a country that’s about kings,” Kelley said. “We’re about democracy and the rule of law, and we follow the Constitution, and I want to make sure that that is what continues to happen.”
Roughly 50 Aquinnah protesters added their voices to the national protests, marching from the circle to the cliffs overlook. Aquinnah kids carried signs drawn in rainbow markers. One said “this apple is rotten” and another said “Trump, this is my first protest and it’s against you.”
Julianne Vanderhoop, the Aquinnah select board chairwoman and owner of Orange Peel Bakery, led opening remarks. She is a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), one of the first peoples in the U.S. to encounter European colonizers.
She said that Native people are the most persecuted in the U.S. though they’ve occupied the land since before written history.
“These are interesting times, and we find ourselves thinking every day now how my people have felt for thousands of years and still feel,” Ms. Vanderhoop said.
Beverly Wright, former chairwoman of the tribe, carried a sign in the pouring rain, posing the question “did the pilgrims have papers?”
“This rain is from our ancestors and from the Great Spirit,” Ms. Wright said. “He is cleansing this land. And from this day on, we are going to start and take back our country, our democracy, our family, our everything.”
Aquinnah town administrator Jeffrey Madison, who is also a member of the tribe, said he often makes political comments during meetings.
“I make no apology for that [and] I will not stop…” Mr. Madison said. “If we’re going to resist, it has to start on a local level. I believe that with every fiber of my being.”
Mr. Madison grew up in the 1960s and said he’s suffered through a time when people didn’t believe in equality. He said the nation has lost itself and it pains him.
“I’m old enough to remember, and I don’t want my grandchildren or their grandchildren to repeat that, and they’re going to have to,” Mr. Madison said.
Aquinnah resident and musician Kate Taylor joined the protest and led the group in singing People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield.
Cori Dipietro, an Aquinnah resident with citizenship in both Canada and the U.S., said it disturbs her to see what’s happening to immigrants in the country.
“I love Canada, I love America and I embrace both,” Ms. Dipietro said. “I just think it’s heartbreaking what’s happening in the United States because it’s reverberating around the world.”
Aquinnah bookbinder Mitzi Pratt organized the protest with shop owner and wampum artist Berta Welch.
In her speech, Ms. Pratt said the government is unlawfully detaining people, silencing protestors with volence and attempting to control the press and educational institutions. That must stop now, she said.
“Together, we have the power to resist and overcome the divide to rule tactics,” Ms. Pratt said. “Keep showing up [and] make a commitment to keep your opposition in the forefront of your life. We are at a critical historic moment, but we the people can prevail.”
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