The Minnesota murders of two protestors spurred a bigger turnout last Saturday to protest ICE abuses than organizers expected. An estimated 210 people showed up with home-made signs in 23-degree weather outside Washington County Courthouse; their main message had moved from “NO Kings” in previous local rallies to “ICE OUT FOR GOOD” and “De-Ice.”
Dennis Degenhardt, one of the organizers for the West Bend Chapter of Indivisible, a national organization, said the reaction to the ICE brutality in Minneapolis was the common denominator for the one-hour protesters. “The feelings are up,” he said.
Bob Strichen, who carried a large American flag, said the ICE agents who pulled the trigger to shoot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, have to be arrested and tried. “They crossed the lines,” he said.
He added that the Saturday turnout was especially significant because Washington County is one of the most red, pro-Trump counties.
Repeated honks were viewed by organizers as positive. Only one passenger that I heard yelled out: “Losers!” Most passers-by had thumbs up.
The next demonstration has been set by Indivisible in West Bend on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. It will be a positive event to highlight what the attendees love about America.
It will be followed by a national anti-Trump rally on March 28.
Cindy Michalek, who mounted the huge sign on her truck saying “ICE OUT FOR GOOD” summed up the thoughts of the local demonstrators: “I hate to see what’s happening in our country. It’s not what I learned in middle school about checks and balances.”
The impact of these local rallies is that the breadth and repetition of the demonstrations in communities across America are profound. Trump’s mounting disapproval ratings bear that out.
The continued local rallies are amplified on social media. The West Bend chapter gets between 9,000 and 10,000 hits on Facebook for three days after posting about an event.
That grass roots energy will make a big difference in the Nov. 3 election.
Timothy Snyder, a leading scholar on tyranny, wrote, “Protest does not bring instant change, but it disrupts, delays, and slows authoritarian regimes. It also reminds people that what’s happening is not normal.
“That’s why we must keep showing up. That’s why we must keep protesting.”
