Anger directed toward the Trump administration has spurred vocalization from many on the political left, with activists showing concerns for recent executive orders. 24 degrees with gusts of bitter wind, the flags and signs for the No Kings National Day of Protest were billowing. The Maine Campus walked along the waterfront in downtown Bangor on March 28 among hundreds of protesters, looking for the perspectives of those in attendance. The nationwide collections of protests spanned from Los Angeles to our own cranny of the far northeast. Zipping up our own coats and rubbing our hands together, we talked with protestors and organizers alike about the demonstration.
Despite the cold, the turnout was healthy, with parades of signs standing and walking up and down the waterfront. Though there were minimal chants, there was a chorus of honking, bell chimes and cattlebells, with passerbys enthusiastic about the turnout.
Those we spoke with shared a similar attitude, quantity matters. Protester Kathryn Crosby told the Maine Campus why she was here.
“Well, I felt like I couldn’t stay home because, y’know, we need everyone out here to speak their mind and, hopefully, someone will listen,” said Crosby.
Indivisible Bangor, the local organizers, are based in Bangor and work with the local area in “resisting the Trump agenda.” They employed ‘peacekeepers’ to operate a resource desk in front of Mexicali Blues in the heart of Bangor. One attendee working as a peacekeeper named Julia Bayly elaborated on what her role entails and why she volunteered.
“I’m here as a peacekeeper…the likelihood of anything bad happening is pretty slim, but [I’m here for] de-escalation just in case something happens. Maybe [to] direct people where they need to go, make sure people are safe and I’m doing that because I believe very strongly that our democracy and our way of life is in danger,” said Bayly. “I want to do whatever I can to kinda turn the ship, bring us around.”
Bayly told the Maine Campus that there was no counterprotesting she saw at the event.
“Every [protest] they’ve had in Bangor, I have been [to] and I have only seen one, one singular counter protester in all the ones I’ve been,” explained Bayly.
Another volunteer, Sandy Butler, worked as a crossing guard during this demonstration, similarly telling the Maine Campus that it was “very peaceful.”
