Massive Protests Continue Against Administration Policies
On Saturday, April 19th, the Norwalk Green became the site of another huge protest against Trump, and the policies of his administration, especially DOGE. Crowd size was estimated to be more than 1500 people.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Norwalk event was organized by Melissa Murray who is the co-lead of Good Trouble Norwalk, which is a chapter of Indivisible (indivisible.org). Ms. Murray told WestportLocalPress " "We received 544 RSVPs on our mobilize event page, on the advice of area activists we were told to expect 2-to-3 times more than that."
The original plan was to rally at Norwalk Green and then, as a group, the protesters would march down East Avenue to Norwalk City Hall.
Murray said, "After receiving so many signups in the middle of last week, we decided as a group that marching 400-500 people down East Ave, our busiest thoroughfare in Norwalk, was not going to work. In addition the City Hall lawn would not be big enough to hold us all once we got there. Instead, we decided to stay on The Green, line the perimeter facing East Ave to wave our signs, stand in solidarity and lift our voices to demand our rights and protect our democracy!"
The protest received a mention on Monday night on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow show, along with dozens of protests nationwide on Saturday even from multiple cities in Alaska, and others drawing tens of thousands in major U.S. cities.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Norwalk protest became a part of the 50501 movement, so called as the informal campaign initially began in early February, with the goal of holding 50 protests in all 50 states, on the same day.
The grassroots movement has described its mission as Pro-Constitution, Pro-Democracy and in opposition to what many see as Trump's executive branch overreach which has received multiple rebukes from Federal Courts on a variety of issues, including most recently the deportation of suspected Venezuelan gang members and the round up by ICE of students who were seen by the administration as espousing views with which they dissent.
Ms. Murray also said, "Out of the 1500 people multiple cities were represented from around the state - Westport, Wilton, Stamford, Redding, Stratford and including Hartford". Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin was in the audience, as was U.S. Congressman Jim HImes, who has represented the 4th Congressional District which covers most of Fairfield County and part of New Haven County, since 2009.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Other government officials included Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, who lives in Norwalk and who was a featured speaker along with State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff who represents CT's 25 Senate District which includes Norwalk. Matt Blumenthal, son of U.S. Senator for Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, and who currently serves as a state legislator for Connecticut's 147th district was on hand along with Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling with wife Lucia.
The speakers were led by organizer Melissa Murray who introduced Bethany "B" Parryman, communications Director of the ACLU of CT who described actions being taken to hold the administration accountable for what they maintain are violations of the law. Perryman received cheers when to said the ACLU has filed 400 lawsuits against Trump during the first term and now into the second.
Secretary of State Thomas too the stage and urged the audience to get into "good trouble, necessary trouble" adding that "good trouble can feel like real trouble, right?" Thomas added that "perhaps old friends that you held dear, it feels like they are fading away aw your values grow apart" referencing the growing divide in the country which has been taking place in recent years. Thomas addressed the recent moves by the administration and congress including an executive order which will take effect on Friday which will make registering to vote much more difficult requiring "every lawful American to jump through hoops to register to vote or change their registration" which drew protestations from the crowd.
State Senator Bob Duff took the stage saying, "I love being an American and will fight for my country for me, for my family and for you." and led chants of "no kings, no dictators" which the crowd echoed multiple times, adding "our people are united and we won't bend the knee to a dictator", referencing capitulation by some universities and law firms to demands of the Trump administration. Senator Duff made extensive remarks on a sirens of issues directly affecting Connecticut including threats to cut support for our veterans, to Medicaid, even Meals On Wheels and has cut "Tens of millions of dollars from Fairfield-based Save The Children" which for decades was headquartered on the Saugatuck River in Westport which is now the site of multi-million dollar condominiums. He said the administration "• fired the entire staff that administers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance that 200,000 Connecticut residents rely on to stay warm in the winter."
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
He concluded by saying, "As I conclude, look around. Remember this gathering on the moments and days when things might seem dark. Remember there are more of us who love freedom than who despise it." adding, " We will not let them take our joy and happiness away. History is on our side because we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. America IS the shining city on the hill. God Bless the great state of Connecticut and God Bless the USA. Thank you for being here."
Excerpts from Duff's comprehensive remarks can be found below.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Here are some excerpts from Senator Bob Duff’s extensive remarks:
I love being an American and will fight for my country for me, for my family and for you. We have a responsibility as Connecticut residents - one of the original 13 colonies to speak up and honor our history.
Our country doesn’t have kings. Our country is supposed to be free and prosperous. Our people are united and won’t bend the knee to a dictator - even if billionaires, legacy media, law firms and some universities do. We will say, “NO KINGS” because those who bend the knee are weak and we are strong and we are getting stronger by the day.
But it’s more than just being against him, we have to show people what we are for.
• We fight for tax cuts for the middle class, they fight for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires
• We fight for affordable health care and prescription medication. They want to cut Medicaid and Medicare for sick children, seniors and poor people
• We increase funding in the classroom and want all kids to succeed. They want to eliminate school funding and increase class sizes.
• We want to support local farmers and feed school children while they cancel funding so kids go hungry and farmers lose their livelihood.
• We believe in vaccinations, public health and science as they cut funding to critical medical research. They believe in conspiracy theories as the bird flu and measles spread across the country killing adults and children.
• We believe in retiring with dignity and the promise of Social Security. They want to decimate and privatize Social Security calling it a Ponzi scheme.
• We believe in consumer protection and consumer rights while they gutted the federal agency that forced greedy businesses to hand over $22 billion to Americans.
• We believe in data privacy. They believe in Elon Musk who is stealing our personal data for his gain.
• We believe in due process. They believe in sending people to foreign jails.
• If they will send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a foreign prison then who’s next? Trump already said he’d like to send American citizens to El Salvador’s Concentration Camp.
Where are my Republican colleagues? They say we are acting like Chicken Little and the sky is falling. This is what they say we are overreacting to:
On Thursday, Hearst media put the total frozen grant funding to Connecticut at $425 million.
• $14 million to Connecticut schools, has been frozen with hundreds of millions more are at risk.
• By the way, I am proud of our SDE for telling Linda McMahon to go pound sand on DEI. Don’t you love Connecticut Values?
• $150 million for disease outbreak surveillance, newborn screenings for infants and childhood immunizations.
• $100 million for public safety
• Tens of millions for Fairfield-based Save The Children.
• They fired the entire staff that administers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance that 200,000 Connecticut residents rely on to stay warm in the winter.
• The Veterans Administration employs nearly 4,000 people in Connecticut and many are threatened with layoffs. Connecticut veterans rely on this department for health care, disability benefits among other things.
• Congressional Republicans are working to enact major cuts to Medicaid. 991,000 Connecticut residents rely on Medicaid including around 37% of children, 66% of nursing home residents, and 40% of people with disabilities.
• Meals on Wheels is also on the chopping block. A program that feeds poor and vulnerable seniors.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.