On Saturday, around 100 people gathered on the corner of North Main Street and Lorain Street to protest the Trump administration. The mostly older crowd carried signs with slogans such as, “Democracy not Dictatorship,” “Alexa Change my President,” “No One is Safe in a Fascist Country,” and others, addressing a wide variety of political issues like immigration enforcement, free speech, and funding science and education. Many vehicles that passed through the intersection honked in support.

The demonstration was organized by Stand Up Lorain County. The organization has been holding weekly protests in different areas of the county since April. Organizer Nichole Geibel said that the group was motivated by upheaval in the nine months since President Trump took office. 

“A lot of us just want our democracy back,” she said. “We just want to be able to not get a memo from President Trump telling us that we’re going to be a terrorist organization now because we’re out protesting peacefully. … We just want people to know you don’t have to be afraid, and you can speak up.”

Ann Pilisy, chair of the Oberlin Democratic Party, said the events vary in size depending on where they are held. Demonstrations in smaller communities like Wellington or Columbia Station have had lower attendance, while gatherings in towns like Lorain or Elyria usually bring out crowds of more than 200. She said that while the demonstrations have received some negative reactions from passersby, by and large, communities have responded very positively with honks and cheers of support.

Geibel said bringing the demonstrations to rural areas and small towns was important to make sure all citizens could make their voice heard.

“Everybody in Lorain County gets a chance to participate,” she said. “There are a lot of older citizens that can’t drive far … and so this gets us to places where they can get to easily, and they know it, so they feel safe. It also is just to help those people that are not able to speak up in their rural city know that they have people that believe in the same things that they do, and we’re willing to come there.”

Only a few young people attended the protest. Many attendees wondered why more students were not in attendance. 

“[I’m] disappointed that there are not more students involved in what’s happening,” Catharina Meints Caldwell said. “We need to be pushing back, and nothing’s going to get better unless we show our dismay.”

Caldwell, who taught in the Conservatory, said that during her time at Oberlin, students were very politically active. 

“I think it’s the COVID-19 generation,” Pilisy said. “They’re not active… and then the College puts the fear of God in people about getting involved in protesting.”

Geibels said getting word to students was a challenge. She heard from community members that the College did not allow posting on campus, so Stand Up Lorain did not make an effort to publicize on campus. The College’s general posting policy states that, “except for posters/flyers placed on identified departmental bulletin boards, posters from entities outside of the College must be approved by the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement in order to be posted on campus.” The policy also states that non-compliant postings will be removed.

College fourth-year Luke Moeller said he attended after he received an email from the local Democratic Party.

“I’ve had conversations with my friends about like, ‘I don’t want to go to this because it’s just a protest in the moment, and then after the protest is over, what really happens?’” he said. “But I find a lot of this is really, really important because it reminds us that we’re all in this fight together, and it helps us keep moving forward with the fight. It’s a way to reestablish and restrengthen community and build new connections for people who are all in this together.”

Attendees interviewed said they attended to vent their dissatisfaction and show solidarity with others who might feel similarly.

“The way that our government — and I use the term lightly — is actually trying not to function, it’s not working for us,” Kendal at Oberlin resident Pat Edwards said. “It’s not working for anybody. The prices are going up, inflation is going up, the tariffs are going up. The craziness in Washington is going up. That’s why I’m here. And my question is, wouldn’t you be?” 

Grafton resident Daisy Reish said it was a good way to let out her bad feelings about the current climate.

“This is like my AA meeting,” Reish said. “That’s what this is. I have to have this because if not, we all will be too depressed. It keeps us from getting depressed.”