Indivisible Northampton member Ellen Schwartz at the Northampton Rotary on June 9 protesting in response to the National Guard and ICE activity ongoing in Los Angeles. Schwartz added she was immediately reminded of Kent State once she saw the news.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
NORTHAMPTON — Led by Indivisible Northampton, a standout protest — in response to the National Guard and ICE activity in Los Angeles — took place on June 9 at the Northampton Rotary and sidewalks at Damon Road.
The protest also called for the immediate release of SEIU-USWW President David Huerta who was arrested after receiving medical treatment.
Indivisible Northampton organizer Ellen Schwartz told Reminder Publishing the gathering came together last minute, coming off the protests and clashes in Los Angeles that began on June 6.
“Over the weekend, we were just freaking out about what we were seeing. It’s illegal. It’s immoral,” Schwartz said of the Trump administrations sending in of the National Guard to Los Angeles.
Referencing the Kent State massacre, when nine were injured and four were killed by the Ohio National Guard during a rally in 1970, Schwartz said it was important to speak out on the excessive force tactics being used to quell protesters and to show solidarity against oppressive government actions.
“If it can happen there, it can happen here,” she added.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
During the hour and half stretch of standing with signs in protest, a majority of commuters honked their horns in support of the group. While there were still some who drove by in disagreement of what was being protested, Schwartz said it at least was sign of a faint heartbeat still going for democracy amidst national chaos.
“We got two people who gave us the finger, but we also got people beeping and waving,” Schwartz said. “It’s important for people to hear these horns and to understand that we’re not just going to sit back and take it because tyranny loves complacency. If I don’t get someone giving me the finger, then I haven’t done my job.”
Also with Indivisible Northampton is member John Majercak who told Reminder Publishing he was there to protest the excessive force on display from ICE activity and the ongoing protests across the country.
“The fact that ICE is going into communities with tactical weapons and armored vehicles, basically disrupting and destroying communities … They’re not getting rapists and killers. They’re taking workers and students, moms and dads and kids — people that are part of the fabric of community,” said Majercak. “It’s very cruel and very un-American.”
Majercak shared similar sentiments as Schwartz, adding he felt the current administration was using this incident as a distraction of the ongoing budget bill in congress and to advance authoritarian efforts in the states.
“[The Trump administration] is really just trying to use this as a pretext for advancing their goals to have a military dictatorship. You can hear the beeping and see the waving — people know that this is wrong and un-American, but they’re sometimes not sure what they can do about it or they might be afraid to speak out, and so each time all of us speak out, it lets other people know they’re not alone, this isn’t normal and they’re right to be upset. They can join us and do something. The power to govern ultimately comes from the people and so the more people that get out and say ‘no this is not American, this is not following the constitution, this is not democracy.’”
Majercak added, “Regardless of what you think politically, there’s lots of room for Republicans and Democrats and other independents and parties to argue about the best way to do something. But this is way beyond that. This is about are we a democracy or a military dictatorship? People seeing that I think, it’s important.”
