By MATEUS FERREIRA/Head Writer
Around 2,000 protestors gathered Oct. 18 in Bergfeld Park to protest the Trump administration. The event was part of a movement that took place across the United States.
The protest was partially organized Students for Justice in Palestine at UT Tyler, the Smith County Democratic Party, Indivisible of Smith County and the Smith County Young Democrats.
Protesters hugged the east side of the park, creating a line that stretched over two blocks. Periodically erupting into chants, demonstrators displayed signs to passing motorists. People dressed as elephants, chickens, bears, witches and T. Rexes stood out on the congested sidewalk.
“There are multiple things that he’s done that have upset me,” said 65-year-old Mickey Surles, dressed in full king regalia, including a massive scepter and crown. “All of them in combination that are basically destroying our democracy, and I hate to see that not just for me, but for my kids and for my unborn grandchildren, so I feel like it’s a crime. In my opinion, the man should be behind bars.”
Many demonstrators cited Trump’s immigration policy, Republican redistricting, deployment of the National Guard in cities and welfare as reasons they were protesting.
“If you don’t stand up today, then your children will never have the capacity to stand up tomorrow, or it be against the law to stand up,” said a demonstrator. “Tomorrow it’s gonna be against the law to protest. They’re gonna send the army after you. The more they normalize, military on the street against their own citizenry, the more likely we are to become a fascist state of dictatorship.”
A speaker blared “Imagine,” by John Lennon, over the sounds of car horns, flutes and cymbals. In some areas, protesters with plenty of space between them waved signs . Farther down, demonstrators stood shoulder to shoulder as they chanted.
WORDS FROM ORGANIZERS
At booths, activists could donate to Indivisible, a grassroots non-profit advocating progressive policies. Laura Neal, a volunteer at Invisible, co-led the protest. She said the protest was not partisan but about “defending democracy.”
“I have a daughter who’s a senior in high school and going into college, and honestly, now that — you have to— professors have to walk on eggshells about what they say and what they do in classrooms, I would encourage UT Tyler students to make their voices heard because they might be able to silence professors, but they can’t silence students,” Neal said.
She hopes the demonstration will be a signal to Tyler residents who dislike Trump that they are not alone.
“What’s happening right now is not what America’s about” said Dax Alexander, a Democrat who is running for Congress. “And it is just insanely inspiring as someone who grew up here to see the level of turnout that we have.”
Alexander, who is vice president of Smith County Young Democrats, said three years ago, the local Democratic party barely had 20 people show up to events. He said he is thrilled by the number attending the protest.
“It’s a really visual way to show that the work that we’re doing in our community is making a difference to people and really resonating with people and there are way more people like us, that think like we do, than anyone gives us credit for,” Alexander said.
Kristen Hardin-Sigler, a member of Smith County Young Democrats, said 400 people signed up to attend and that they were expecting four times that amount, exceeding the number from the first No Kings protest in Tyler. Different organizers estimated 1,700 to over 2,000 attended the protest.
“We’re at this tipping point, to where we’re either gonna backslide into authoritarianism, or we’re going to stand up right now and make something happen,” Hardin-Sigler said. “We expect good turnouts. Most successful revolutions or resistance movements take 3% of the population right? That’s what we’re looking for. We need 11 million people across the U.S. to turn out.”
Hardin-Sigler, wearing a neon vest, walked back and forth behind the lines of demonstrators. When the chanting waned, she would call into her megaphone.
“No Ice! No KKK! No Fascist USA,” she chanted as protesters echoed her.
Passing cars honked their approval, stirring cheers from the crowd. A white truck with a “Thin Blue Line” and “Make America Great Again” zoomed down the street. It slowed down to let out a cloud of black smoke into a group of flag-waving protestors. The truck sped off, and the chanting continued.
SPEAKERS
At about 6 p.m., organizers and public figures began giving speeches. The first to speak was Navy veteran and local attorney Peter G. Milne.
“Raise your hand if you’re an anti-fascist,” Milne said, as the crowd erupted into cheers. “Yeah, Antifa! Well what does that mean? That means you’re an American. That means you’re a patriot. That’s not a bad word, that’s a good word.”
Milne said America had strayed from the Constitution and into fascism.
Next was the Rev. Rob Jerger, a vicar at St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, and an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. He spoke on his experience ministering to the queer community while the government passed “anti-LGBTQ legislation.”
“Let’s stand together, queer, straight, trans, clergy, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, pagan,” he said. “Let’s stand together and say with one voice, no kings, no fear, no hate, only love, that sets us free.”
Al Durante is a Texas State Democratic Executive Committee member for First Congressional District of Texas. He spoke on protecting the vote and “Taking back Congress.” Shirley. McKellar, a decorated veteran who is running for mayor of Tyler, expressed her support for the protest.
Dax Alexander spoke harshly on policies of the current administration. Wendy Jones, a member of The American Federation of Government Employees, spoke on how the government shutdown affected the salaries of government workers.
The final remarks were by an unnamed representative of Students Justice in Palestine at UT Tyler who blamed the “system of monopoly capitalism” as the root of crises threatening civilization. The speaker connected Trump’s use of ICE with the IDF’s control over Palestine and said America needs to learn from Palestine’s struggle “for freedom and democracy.”
“This struggle, this resistance, is a war that must end in either a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common destruction of all of humanity.”
SJP claimed that UT Tyler had restricted speech on Palestine. The students demanded the UT system divest from companies connected with Israel. At the end of their speech, SJP representatives led the crowd in chants.
“Long live revolution! There is only one solution! Intifada revolution. From the River to the sea, Palestine will be free!” said the group as the protesters called back.
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