Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship for Bradford Journal Opinion
NEWBURY — On a chilly Saturday afternoon, dozens of people gathered on Route 5 in Newbury to protest the rising authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s administration. Protestors of all ages — from small children to seniors — held up signs bearing messages like: “No Kings” and “Protect Democracy.”
While protests in major cities across the country drew crowds of thousands on Oct. 18, a smaller, but no less passionate protest took place in Newbury, which brought together more than 300 residents. It was one of 50 No Kings protests around the state.
As the political sphere becomes more and more polarized, community events like the No Kings protest in Newbury are attracting a growing number of impassioned Vermonters.
On Saturday, demonstrators lined Route 5 on Newbury Common, loudly chanting: “protect democracy!” Some waved handmade signs with witty sayings, while others carried American flags.
Both families and older residents gathered on the road. Some attendees quietly discussed the ideas they supported, while other people cheered loudly. Music played from a large speaker near the information booth, keeping the energy upbeat.
Addelyn Beaulieu, an eighth grader who attended the protest with her father, took in the crowd around her.
“I feel like I am one of many,” she said. “But when you come out here and are a part of a large group, you’re making it a little bit better. You’re motivating other people to do things like this, which makes a [difference] in our world.”
The protest was organized by the Orange County chapter of Third Act, a national advocacy group for individuals over 60, and Indivisible, a national organization with Vermont chapters.
Representatives from Third Act handed out flyers listing citizens’ civic rights, duties, and responsibilities to rallygoers on Saturday.
The organization was initially formed to rally people over 60 to fight climate change, but shifted its focus towards encouraging democracy when President Donald Trump was re-elected in 2020.
Pricilla Connolly, a member of the Third Act’s Orange County chapter and a volunteer at the protest, said the group is uniting Vermonters.
“We are not just about progressive or left-wing politics,” she said. “It’s really, like, my sign says, about protecting democracy. For me, it’s hard to argue with that. I think that’s what most of us really want.”
Linda Weiss, a Corinth resident running an information booth at the rally, shared why she had volunteered: “I’m sort of terrified for the next generation … everybody younger than me, quite frankly. I’m going to be dead when the real shit hits the fan.”
The afternoon was filled with steady chants and honks from passing cars. People talked about democracy and politics, shared laughs and hugs, and fostered a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
But earlier in the week, a very different kind of political gathering took place just south in Bradford. Resident and organizer Nicholas DiLorenzo held a vigil for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was killed in an act of targeted gun violence this September.
“I had a lot of support from people who were afraid and hadn’t had a voice in a while,” DiLorenzo said. “A lot of them were younger adults.”
Over 100 people came to the vigil, some from New Hampshire.
“They all came out, and they all felt like they had a purpose and a voice now, which was great.”
Whether for the No Kings protest in Newbury or the Charlie Kirk vigil in Bradford, residents are showing up to express their beliefs and engage with their communities.
As Third Act volunteer Susan Gaelic put it on Saturday: “This is a story of people who love their town and love their country and want to save it.”