Chatham Gathers For ‘No Kings’ Protest

 CHATHAM – About 350 people held protest signs, cheered and waved American flags near the downtown traffic lights Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” protest.

 The protest, held on the lawn of the Chatham Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse, attracted residents from surrounding towns as well as Chatham, with a number of seasonal homeowners and visitors joining in.

 “If we were home we’d be protesting there,” said Annette McLean of Chicago, who was vacationing in Chatham with her husband. “This is a really important, historical day, so we made sure to find a protest.

 
Many drivers beeped their horns in support, with a small number of passersby responding with obscenities, thumbs down or middle fingers, protesters said.

 The gathering was one of three held on Cape Cod as part of a nationwide protest against the policies of the Trump administration; demonstrations were also held in Eastham and Hyannis. Even though an area was set aside for counterprotesters, none showed up during the two-hour event. No problems were reported,  according to Police Chief Michael Anderson.

 “Our country is in crisis and this is the time to stand up,” said Hannah, a nurse who lives in Chatham who declined to give her last name. She cited Trump policies on science, health care, veterans, immigration and other areas as reasons for attending the rally.

 “I’m very scared for my patients,” she said, adding that she wanted to make sure the government would take care of patients and the health care workers who care for them.

 “We’re here because we’re Americans,” she added.

 “I think it’s 1933 Germany all over again,” said Mary Byrne of Chatham when asked why she attended the protest. She said she was concerned about people being taken off the street by federal agents, including legal residents, and while she was glad to see the large turnout Saturday, she questioned whether demonstrations in Blue States like Massachusetts would make a difference.

 “This is not going to change anything, except to build community,” she said.

 Harwich resident Diane DiGennaro brought her granddaughter Zoey Spitz to the protest.

 “She just learned about the American Revolution, and we talked about the difference between having kings and the monarchy and having a democracy,” she said. “It’s perfect timing.”

 Members of Chatham’s Democratic Town Committee first raised the idea of holding a demonstration on No Kings Day, said organizers Mike Schell and Evan Howard. Howard arranged to use the front lawn of the Meetinghouse, and they coordinated logistics with the Chatham Police Department. About six people served as security, although there were no problems reported.

 The protest was not widely publicized, nor was it registered on the official No Kings Day website.

 “We did that initially to keep the crowd size down,” Howard said. The organizers were nonetheless pleased with the turnout; Schell noted that the crowd was diverse, representing a swath of the town’s demographics, from youngsters to seniors, summer residents and visitors to natives.

 The organizers left open the possibility of holding more protests in the coming weeks.