On Saturday, June 14th, peace and justice activists held three rallies in Livingston County—Leicester at 11:00 AM, Lima at 12:00 Noon, Geneseo at 2:00 PM. Over two thousand people participated.
While President Trump held his dictator-style parade in Washington, D.C., millions of Americans in every state, held rallies calling for No Kings and No Dictators.
Events were all affiliated with the national and local organization Indivisible. (The Geneseo event was organized by Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace, a group that is allied with Indivisible.)
Two Criticisms of President Trump
Organizers had two basic criticisms of President Trump. The first is that he is systematically destroying our country—attacking Medicaid, Medicare, FEMA, the environment, immigrants, trans people, and our relations with other countries. These are not the values America upholds.
The second criticism is that Trump is trying to turn the United States into a dictatorship under his rule. He has tried to limit freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of education. He has sent the US Marines to fight against our own people. His thugs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are sent to attack and arrest anyone they see fit. This is not what “liberty and justice for all” looks like.
National Day of Protest
The good news is that people in all 50 states rose up in protest, resistance, and defiance on June 14th. It’s estimated that six million people demonstrated against Trump and his attempt at dictatorship throughout the U.S. Among those six million people were two thousand in Livingston County.
What’s Next
Organizers emphasized that June 14th was a pivotal moment in history. However, June 14th was just the beginning. Peace activists will continue to resist Trump in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
For more information, those interested in continuing this movement should go to GVCP.org, https://geneseevalleyindivisible.org, and https://5and20alliance.org
Arnold Matlin, M.D. for Indivisible and Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace
Photos by Karl Hanafin