BRATTLEBORO-It seems as if President Donald Trump is not popular in Windham County, either.
On June 14, which was Flag Day, Brattleboro joined an estimated 2,100 protest marches across the nation and held its own "No Kings" march.
Nearly 3,000 people marched from the Centre Congregational Church on Main Street to the common, where they listened to protest songs sung by the 50-voice strong Good Trouble Street Choir backed by the Peoples Resistance Marching Band, and to speeches about democracy while from within a tree, a protestor waved a transgender pride flag over the heads of the crowd.
Most of the marchers carried homemade cardboard signs saying things like "Hands off the Constitution," "My proud WWII Navy Veteran Dad is rolling in this grave this morning," "Immigrants are Our National Treasure; Keep Your Tiny Hands Off Them," and "Kings Stink."
One sign said, "This is not a right or left movement, it is a right or wrong movement." A group of people wore butterfly wings to say, "No Kings, Only Monarchs."
One sign seemed to sum up the protests: "So much evil, so little cardboard."
Lee Goodman of Brattleboro was dressed in a striped shirt and pants, a copy of the uniforms worn by prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Germany during World War II.
He was handing out blue triangles, mirroring those sewn by the Nazis onto the concentration camp uniforms of migrants. Today, wearing the blue triangle means "I stand with immigrants," he said.
Many people carried upside-down U.S. flags. Jeff Hutchins of Vernon said he carried his "because our country is in shambles."
A man dressed hat-to-toe in an Uncle Sam costume held a sign that read "Uncle Sam says !#$%&+."
Broadcaster and former Vernon Town Clerk Tim Johnson Arsenault said, "Government should be about helping people, not ripping people off."
The crowd at the church was overwhelmingly older but determined. Some marched while being pushed in wheelchairs. Some used walkers. Some used canes. Some used walking sticks.
Alice Eisenbee of Brattleboro had a simple white shopping bag with "No Kings" written upon it.
"This is my best effort," she said. "I didn't have anything else handy."
"When I was in college, I didn't go to protests," said Eisenbee, who attended the April and May marches in Brattleboro. "I'm 82, and I'm doing it now."
Many people brought their dogs. Small dogs were carried in their owners' arms. One peeked out of a backpack. A Burmese Mountain dog was wearing a vest hung with protest signs and buttons.
As they marched, the protesters were told to keep to the eastern side of the street, and the crowds came in droves, in waves, in clumps, and in bunches.
Someone set up a chant, "Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go," and people started dancing to the rhythm as they marched.
Lessons in protecting democracy
At the gazebo on the common, many more young people joined the marchers. The audience was told to respect any counterprotest because the Constitution guarantees their rights to free speech as well.
Retired longtime Brattleboro Union High School social studies teacher Tim Kipp gave a speech that traced the history leading up to the Trump administration.
"Today, the Trump/Republican cult have ignited a full-blooded coup d'etat," Kipp said. "This is not an unconstitutional assault. This is an anti-constitutional assault. Virtually every civilized political and cultural component of our county is being pillaged in the name of freedom and democracy."
He went to say that the forces of wealth are united to cause mass destruction.
"Unique concentrations of economic and political power have exploded the legislative, judicial, and political party system," Kipp said, resulting in "vicious class and race scapegoating."
"In the words of one of our political sages, Mel Brooks, this is a perfect Springtime for Hitler moment," he said.
When Kipp asked"How many Reichstag fires will Trump set?" someone in the audience shouted out, "We are fire extinguishers!"
"In conclusion: Yes, these are soul-trying times," Kipp said. "But we will overcome the enemies of democracy."
He quoted historian Howard Zinn: "Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power no government can suppress, a power than can transform the world."
"As our movement broadens, we will employ every ethical and peaceful means to transform our opponents and create a real democracy for all," Kipp concluded. "From the halls of Congress to the streets of every village, town, or city, we will lead, and eventually, the leaders will follow."
Protest with a price tag
The march was nearly double the size of an anti-Trump administration march in June, according to Brattleboro Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Evans.
A sizable contingent of Brattleboro Police were on hand to handle traffic control downtown and to ensure safety for the marchers.
They had help from march organizers, who assembled about two dozen safety-vest-clad volunteer marshals to help with crowd control.
Organizers were planning for 1,000 people or more for the march and the gathering on the common. The town charged $50 for the rental of the common and $25 for an event permit, although it didn't bill for police and public safety expenses, anticipated to total up to $900 per hour.
"Our policy has been for the town to absorb the costs of these larger rallies," Town Manager John Potter told the Selectboard at a meeting last week.
But hearing complaints about a 10.8% tax hike in the town budget, Brattleboro officials plan to ask protest organizers to voluntarily pay more until the municipality considers a higher fee structure.
"In recognition of what's happening in the nation, there will be more events," Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin said.
With additional reporting by Commons news editor Randolph T. Holhut and Kevin O'Connor of VTDigger.
This News item by Joyce Marcel was written for The Commons.