A peaceful, silent protest took place on Saturday, Mar. 29, in the community, where dozens gathered just outside of the Downtowner Lounge (DT) to express their disapproval surrounding the current state of the United States government. The protest titled “Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy” saw people gather to express disapproval of the current federal administration and several of its policies. The protest started with five minutes of silence, followed by demonstrators walking across the bridge and back while carrying signs and their fists raised in the air. Afterward, people remained on the corner outside of the DT next to the bridge with their signs as onlookers drove by. Many signs showed disdain for Elon Musk and Donald Trump, while others expressed support for marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants, and for the working class. During the protest, as cars drove by, many would honk their horns or yell out of their windows in support. There were two counter-protesters present in vehicles with flags showing support for Donald Trump while protesters walked across the bridge.
Lexi Tater, a graduate student at Michigan Tech who organized the event, said, “…my greatest motivation [for organizing this protest] was feeling like people were feeling unsafe and like their voices weren’t being heard… there are so many intimidation tactics that are being used right now to overwhelm us… the goal of this is to empower people to use their voice and come together and feel supported.” This event also marks the beginning of a community organization, partnered with Michigan United, that will meet monthly. “We’re hopefully gonna be meeting once a month for the next 15 months campaigning for a particular issue,” said Tater. “We haven’t decided on the particular issue yet, but we’re hoping to make positive changes in the world and in our local government.”
To find out more about the Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy, refer to their Instagram at @keweenawagainsttheoligarhcy.
