No Kings Demonstration Brings Crowd and a Few Doubters in Milford
About 200 came with creative signs, while a few pro-Trump people watched.
About 200 people in Milford Borough marched, chanted, sang or played ukelele at the No Kings demonstration against Donald Trump’s presidency on Saturday, organized by the Delaware Valley Action! chapter of Indivisible, led by Ed Gragert, of Milford.
“This is a sign that people are concerned about the direction of the country,” Gragert said. “They all came out despite the threat of rain. They were peaceful but serious. They came together with optimism.”
Many large peaceful protests gathered around the country. According to David Robson, writing for the BBC, “Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.”
But perhaps dubious about the prevalence of peace was Taylor James, running through the crowd with a bullhorn, leading a chant, “No justice!” with the response from the crowd, “No peace!”
The crowd came from Milford and elsewhere in Pike County, New Jersey and New York, bringing consternation and signs and wearing expressive tee-shirts.
A couple identifying themselves only as James and Phoebe were visiting from Lake George, where he does wetland and water regulation enforcement and she is a physician’s assistant. Asked what compelled them to protest, he said, “Let me list the ways.”
She said, “the $45 million army parade while cutting Medicaid,” used by many patients she sees.
James added, “It’s the sentiment that presumes hate is okay.”
They declined to give their last names. John, from Tafton,who similarly declined, noted, “Trump has us afraid of saying who we are.”
“I disagree with all he’s doing,” said Emma Klein, who works as a doctor’s receptionist in Montague, “Families shouldn’t be torn apart.”
She carried a sign, “Only you can prevent fascist liars.”
Helen, from Greeley, said, “I have an overwhelming concern about democracy. Trump’s selling contracts to companies to cut down forests, defunding Medicaid and hurting immigrants.”
Meanwhile, a couple stood glumly with their dog, watching on Broad St.
“It’s all lies,” the man said. “It’ s a shame the country’s come to this. Biden ruined the country.”
Asked where he got his news information, he said, “NewsMax and Fox.”
The couple declined to give their names or allow their photo to be taken. They live nearby, they said.
Another pro-Trump couple watched for about an hour from the Milford Diner parking lot.
Lauren, chatting with people in the crowd, said she is pro-Trump but has a problem with unpredictable tariffs and wants only criminal immigrants deported, which has not been what has happened.
A man identifying himself as Aaron said, “I served in the Marines and swore an oath to the Constitution. The administration is not abiding by their oath. The power is with the people, not leaders looking for wealth. I’m not giving my last name, considering the targeting of dissenters.”
“I’ ve been worried from the beginning. The agenda is wrong,” said Isabel Hodges Smith, from Shohola, a retired cyber security auditor for Johnson and Johnson with a sign about parasites. “But I love this unity. We need more.”
Susan, who brought her ukelele, said she is “upset about no due process, children terrorized by ICE, immigrants or not.”
Nevertheless, after the demonstration, outside the Delaware Valley Action! community center, she and a group of musicians sang, “Don’t worry about a thing. Everything’s gonna be alright!”
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Egad, what a menagerie of specimens!