With the recent election of President Trump, the political situation in the United States has caused upheaval in the federal government, global outreach and local communities. Montclair residents Julie Cohen and Liz Figenshu have begun gathering around Church Street in Montclair every Sunday as a sign of protest.
People of all genders, races, ages, ethnicities and backgrounds have begun to join them. Elderly couples wave their hands and little kids smile and hold banners that say “resist” or “defend democracy.” While not every person’s presence was prompted by the same event, all were united by a feeling of general distrust in the United States’ current political leader.
Protesters began to accumulate by 3 p.m. on March 2, many holding handmade posters and signs, which they waved in the air as cars passed by and honked in approval. Their noise was met with cheer and chanting as the group grew larger. By 4 p.m., there were approximately 100 people. Cohen and Figenshu, two next door neighbors, thought of this initiative not in the trenches of a civic protest, but in the quiet and companionship of a neighborhood walk.
“We would be talking about what was going on in the world, and we really wanted to be able to do something … We wanted to open up the opportunity for those in the community to make their voices heard,” Figenshu said.
Both women also noted that there was a distinct lack of opportunity for protest nearby, with the closest being in Trenton, New Jersey. “It seemed a little silly to drive all the way to Trenton when we have a community right here of a lot of people who are really concerned,” Cohen said.
As it turned out, many were, in fact, concerned. Several people who attended expressed a great sentiment of disapproval for the Trump administration.
“I wanted to channel my rage and frustration into some kind of positive action, and when I heard about what these two women were organizing,” one protestor said. “I thought this was at least something I could do.”
“I’m just revolted by the Trump administration firing federal workers, spreading so much hate, and stealing our programs to support billionaires. I want it to stop,” another attendee said. A common sentiment it seemed, was that of restoring justice and peace to a world so filled with hatred and bigotry. Still another protester asserted he was “protesting for peace, for democracy, for the rule of law and for love and kindness for all human beings.”
Cohen and Figenshu’s initiative aims to spread each individual’s voice and transport the message of democracy to the public. “Every week, there is this set time and place where you can go to have your voice heard,” Figenshu confirms. “No one’s coming to save us,” said Cohen. “We’ve got a crisis going on.”
