By Michael Armstrong

Homer Independent Press

About 300 people showed up last Saturday for the latest rally against the President Donald Trump administration. Billed as “No Kings-ICE Out,” the event had been planned before the shooting of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier that morning.

One woman, Halle Marsengill, held a sign she made that morning referencing Pretti’s death. It  read “ICE murdered another human being today.”

“I would say my heart goes out to everybody that’s been hurt and killed, and really hope we could figure out a way to stop,” said one protester, Marjorie Scholl.

Protesters gathered at WKFL Park at the corner of Heath Street and Pioneer Avenue. A line of people standing along Pioneer Avenue with the Homer Sign Project held blue signs that read “This is democracy,” with expressions of democratic values like ”freedom of the press” or “separation of church and state.” Others held black signs that read “this is fascism,” with signs that read “suppression of free speech” or “distorting the truth or lying.”

Many people driving by honked horns or waved in support, with a few drivers giving a thumbs down. There were no reports of drivers rolling coal — spewing black smoke from modified diesel engines.

While he might not agree with the protesters, one of Homer’s conservative leaders, George Hall, said, “With respect to the protests, I’m delighted to see people willing to stand out there in the cold and do this.”

Hall is the chairman of the District 6 Republican Party, but said he wasn’t speaking on behalf of the party. He mentioned running companies where staff said people should be cut off because they’re saying objectionable things.

“To which I respond. No, no, no, I will absolutely defend their right to stay to say stuff that I disagree with as long as they want,” Hall said. 

“I’m here to do something, move forward, to stop fascism and our country getting hurt, and our people getting hurt,” Scholl said of why she attended.

When asked if she thought protesting made a difference, she said, “It’s the only thing I feel I could do, aside from communicating with our senators, and it feels hard to not be doing enough.”

Maura Gibson stood at WKFL Park with her son bundled up in a baby carrier — his fourth or fifth protest, she said.

“We’re here because we wake up every morning and we see something in the headlines that scares us,” she said. “And you know, we’ve got a little boy that’s not even one year old, and we’re worried about what the future is going to be like for him. So you know, the least we can do is go out and stand in the streets and try to stand up for something we believe in.”

“I think there needs to be a lot of changes in our government and even in our society right now, and it’s hard to watch, and I’m going to do what I can, even in our small town,” said Shelby Birchette about why she protested.

Did she think protesting could change anything?

“The history of America shows that it can make a difference to protest. So yes, I believe it does,” she said.

As to why she protested, Marsengill said she’s been watching the news for more than 10 years, and for her the last year has particularly awful.

“I just, I couldn’t just sit down and at least not say anything, not feel like we don’t have a voice anymore, because we still do,” she said.

Hall said conservatives protest or demonstrate in different ways, like a Flag Day parade held on June 14 last year.

“You see protests that are in support of the country and in general,” he said. “… Flag Day was a perfect example of that. Another one was the Charlie Kirk memorial at Mariner Park. …So you will see them. It’s just, they don’t make a lot of noise.”

Another protest, “Alaska Stands with Minneapolis – ICE Out,” is planned from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday at WKFL Park.