The rain did not deter North Shore residents from gathering at King’s Beach in Swampscott on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions over the past six months.
Around 600 protesters lined Humphrey Street from Mission-on-the-Bay to HairCraft on Humphrey, chanting “hey, hey, ho, ho Donald Trump has got to go.” Protest signs varied from “No chickens in the road, they’re all in Congress” to “We need to be able to tell our children and grandchildren we did not stay silent” and “Stop trying to make hate happen.”
“The day after the election, I said I could either despair or I could do something,” said Leslie Smith Rosen, the founder and co-chair of North Shore Indivisible. “We can’t protest in Washington, D.C. We don’t have to give him the audience, but here’s the idea – all over America there should be protests…It’s important because we’re sending a message that we are not giving in. One of the fascist playbook things is to make everybody think this is inevitable, that everyone is playing into this. We’re sending a message there.”
There have been a number of nationwide protests since Trump took office, from the “Hands Off” demonstrations to the 50501 rallies. National organizers said the “No Kings” protests aimed to oppose “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of democracy.” Smith Rosen said that by Thursday, nearly 1,900 protests were planned across the United States for Saturday, along with about 50 more in other countries.
Since returning to office, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders, fulfilling campaign promises such as clamping down on illegal immigration, pardoning people who took part in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and preventing transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. More recently, Trump decided to send the National Guard to California, which Gov. Gavin Newsom called an abuse of power. His White House administration has also been criticized for recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and large budget cuts.
“People have to say no,” Marblehead resident Catherine Cunningham Derosire told the Swampscott Tides. “No kings, no breaking the law like this, no felons in office please. It’s just obscene, and people have to yell it. Everybody that possibly can needs to be aware of how critical it is because this is just where it’s such a critical mass. Democracy dies in your silence.”
92-year-old Lucky Von Letkemann had a sign that said he’s “too old for this crap.” He told the Swampscott Tides he came out Saturday to the protest with his daughter Lucia because “it’s something that we had to do.”
Many people waved flags at the protest as well. Richard Frenkel said it was meant to fight fascism. Steven Holshouser joined alongside his wife and 1-year-old daughter, flying an upside down American flag.
“It’s not anti-American at all,” said Holshouser, “I think we’re trying to be more American than anything.”
Holshouser was given the flag by his brother who served in the American military in Iraq. The flag, once flown in Iraq, now sits in front of Holshouser’s home, remaining upside down to give attention to everything currently happening in the United States. The flag will remain upside down until “things turn around,” said Holshouser.
Previously disengaged from politics, Holshouser said the bluntness of Trump-era issues compelled him to join the protest. He also added that the local protests show that people living outside of cities are not blind to the what’s going on.
“What else can we do besides this?” asked Holshouser, “this is what democracy is supposed to be about.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) joined the Swampscott protest and spoke to the crowd as well as met with people individually. Moulton focused his message on defending core American values.
“This is what America is all about,” Moulton said. “We are about standing up and fighting back.”
He said the Trump administration “just wants propaganda” and not the truth, yet “we represent the truth in what we do every single day.”
“America has never been a country that has always gotten it right, but we’ve always believed that we might,” Moulton said. “It’s taken volunteers, everyday Americans, standing up to make a difference.”
Moulton told the Swampscott Tides people need to “find a cause that they’re invested in.”
“There are a lot of people that need help right now,” Moulton said. “Food banks are short on food. Go volunteer at a food bank. Immigrants are short on lawyers. If you’re a lawyer, go help immigrant rights. There’s a lot of things that people can do in a community, but focus on where you can make a difference.”
Some members of the community, particularly those a part of the Lynn United for Change, were not supportive of Moulton’s presence.
“Just last week, Congressman Moulton signed onto a congressional resolution that thanked ICE for ‘defending the homeland’ and encouraged collaboration between local law enforcement and federal agencies like ICE,” Isaac Simon Hodens told the Swampscott Tides. “It’s horrific for the congressman that’s supposed to represent this district, this diverse district with so many immigrant families, to thank this agency that’s tearing our community apart. We need people to stand clearly and strongly on the side of democracy, on the side of civil rights and human rights.”
Simon Hodens also criticized Moulton for claiming Democrats are out of touch with mainstream views on issues like transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Lynne M., who is a part of North Shore Indivisible, said her group spoke with Moulton about the concerns. With the congressional act, she noted that “it was a hard vote” because the language was also against antisemitism and other large issues. On the issue of transgender rights, she said the group explained that a bridge between political parties must be formed “not on the backs of people.”
“He’s backed off since then,” she said. “He’s someone that can be pushed to do the right thing.”
During his speech in Swampscott on Saturday, Moulton said that American values are fighting for all, “no matter who you are, what you look like, who you love.”
“Freedom, that’s what America is about,” Moulton said.
Concurrently on Saturday, a military parade is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. The event – which consists of 6,700 troops, 28 tanks, seven bands and 50 military aircrafts – is meant to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday, which is also on the same day as Trump’s 79th birthday.
“A military parade is ridiculous,” said Sherry Cook, who was holding a sign that read “every child wants a parade for their bday. One child ordered the military to give him one!”
Anne Principe, whose birthday also coincided with Saturday’s protests, said the association with Trump’s birthday makes the day “complicated” and that she even hesitates to bring it up. Even still, she wanted to celebrate at the No Kings protest.
“I live for purpose,” Principe said. “If we get another birthday, we have to renew what our purpose is.”
CBS News reported that Army officials estimated Trump’s parade could cost between $25 million and $45 million.
Trump had attempted to hold a similar military parade during his first term in the White House. He was inspired by his trips to France for Bastille Day, and former Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the time that it would have been to ensure “all American can show their appreciation.”
Moulton called out Trump’s “North Korean style birthday parade” in his speech.
“Let me tell you one thing about the troops. They don’t sign up to march in parades,” said Moulton, who is a veteran. “They don’t sign up to fight fellow Americans on the streets of any American city.”
Moulton remarked that North Shore residents have “a lesson to teach the president about kings, because we here in New England remember a few things about kings.”
Many families came together at the Swampscott protest. Torie Maher took her 3- and 1-year-old to the protest to “show them that we can stand up against things that are not right.”
Natalie Eccleston brought her three children. Eccleston, who grew up in Swampscott and now lives in New York, said she was surprised by the protest’s large turnout. Her 11-year-old son is also learning about American history and the Constitution.
“I think it’s important for them to see this energy,” Eccleston said. “I just thought it was important for them to see it in real time.”
Anna Ramos, who lives in Swampscott, said her four signs were “reflective of our thoughts, ideas, and our personalities.”
“We wanted to do something and not just be unhappy and paralyzed,” Ramos told the Swampscott Tides. “It’s a small gesture, but it’s the least we could do…I love seeing everybody here in force.”
Ramos’ father and step-mother, who both live in California, as well as her daughter were in attendance as well. She said that her step-mother, Karen Karchem, has been fighting for equal rights her whole life.
“I have a long history of protests,” Karchem said. “Never did I think I’d be here in a walker doing it again.”
Moulton discussed in his speech the importance of protests and standing for freedom. He said it is essential to “remind America what we are about.”
“When you’re not allowed to march in Washington D.C. if you disagree with the president, that’s not freedom. When you’re not allowed to love and marry who you want, that’s not freedom. When you’re not allowed to read books that he disagrees with, that’s not freedom. When you’re not allowed to worship your god no matter who his god is, that is not freedom,” Moulton said. “When an 18-year-old kid gets locked up and told that he violated some order when he was 6-years-old, that’s not freedom.”
Sheila Billings, who lives in Swampscott, took that message to heart with her protest Saturday. Her father was an immigrant, and Billings said she “believes in America.” Billings painted an umbrella as her sign – and way to fight the rain. In paint, she wrote “hands off our truth, hands off our democracy, hands off our justice, hands off our freedom.”
“I was a teacher, and I taught about democracy,” Billings said. “I believe strongly in it, and I’m just gobsmacked about what’s happening with Congress. People don’t see it’s a repeat of fascism.”
Moulton told the Swampscott Tides after his speech that the most important thing for the Democratic party to do is win. He believes the party needs to broaden its reach rather than focusing narrowly on issues to “build a winning coalition.”
“The energy, the activism is helpful, but we have to win over independence and Republicans so we can actually win elections,” Moulton told the Swampscott Tides. “There’s a lot of work we can do between now and then. We can show America that we have a bigger coalition than we had in November. That’s what this is all about. That’s the work that we have to do.”
Local officials were at the rally as well. Interim Town Administrator Gino Cresta said he was proud that the group was peaceful.
Select Board Member Doug Thompson showed his support as well.
“Our country is under extreme distress and we have certain responsibilities to speak up and ensure that our voices are heard,” Thompson told the Swampscott Tides. “It’s by working collectively that we’ll be successful in pushing back against this authoritarian administration.”
Solange Jain contributed to this story.
