Last Monday marked the 123rd consecutive day that concerned citizens in our area gathered at Tribou Park in Woodstock Village at noon to voice their concerted opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions that they hold are having a profoundly negative impact on democracy and the American way of life.
The daily vigils at the park at the intersection of Pleasant and Central streets, replete with banners, signs, costumes, and closing chants of “This is what Democracy looks like,” have been inspirational and life-affirming for those who’ve taken part. They’ve also attempted to put a spotlight on issues like immigration; free speech; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); the weaponization of the U.S. military, homeland security officers, and police against immigrants and the country’s own citizens; and the self-aggrandizing and financial enrichment of the president and his family even as he serves in the highest office in the land and as the most powerful office in the world.
Commencing this weekend, the daily Tribou Park protest movement is stepping up to another level of activism, coincident with the nationwide “No Kings” observances that will be taking place in thousands of communities across the country under the auspices of such national organizations as 50501 and Indivisible. While the Tribou Park protesters are not formally affiliated with these national protest organizations, they often stage their events in solidarity and collaboration with the national groups.
The Woodstock area residents who’ve been gathering daily at Tribou Park to condemn the Trump administration’s myriad initiatives have set an example that their fellow Vermonters from Bennington and Burlington to Brandon, Brattleboro, Rutland, and beyond have embraced with fervor. Woodstock resident Linda Machalaba was a lone protester at Tribou Park back in early February, voicing her opposition to Trump cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Within days of Machalaba’s solo action, the retired elementary school teacher was joined by dozens of other dissenters, expressing their concerns about a multitude of other issues with the Trump administration — most especially their perception that the country is heading inexorably toward the death of democracy and a totalitarian dictatorship.
The Tribou Park protest movement was born — and it continues to gain momentum as it turns the corner into its fifth month. The seven-day-a-week vigils — an eighth version has just been added on Wednesday afternoon from 5-6 p.m. to coincide with the weekly farmer’s market on The Green in the village — typically draw 15-20 participants on weekdays and 30 to 50 protesters on weekends.
Courtney Hollingsworth, a personal care aide for two families in the Woodstock area, has been a lead coordinator of the Tribou Park vigils since their inception in early February. She has been a steady presence at the park gatherings, as has her mother, Charlotte, who is also one of the organizers of the weekly Monday evening Black Lives Matter vigils at the Park. Courtney spoke about the evolution of the Tribou Park protests in a phone conversation last weekend and again in person at the 123rd iteration of the daily vigil at noon on Monday. She especially addressed plans for the “No Kings, No Clowns” observance in solidarity with nationwide protests taking place in thousands of cities and towns across the country on Flag Day, June 14.
“The ‘No Kings’ theme is saying that no matter who the president is or what party is in power, they should not run for a third or more terms, because that’s unconstitutional,” Hollingsworth said, addressing a concern that is central to both this coming weekend’s special protests across the breadth of the country. “Any threat like that is seen as a threat to our democracy and to our anti-dictatorship, anti-authoritarian, and anti-Fascist values as Americans. We want to make it clear to the government that we’ve left kings and dictatorships and rulers of that nature behind,” she added.
For more on this, please see our June 12 edition of the Vermont Standard.
