In a display of unity and protest, over 2,000 individuals rallied at the Civic Field of Edmonds, demonstrating their disapproval of the actions taken by the Trump administration. A large assembly converged on the field on a Saturday morning, expressing their concern for what they perceived to be an attack on American democracy by the government of the day. The demonstration was organized and publicized by Indivisible Edmonds, in partnership with Snohomish County Indivisible, featuring various prominent figures who were invited to speak.
Rick Steves was one of the main speakers at the demonstration, accompanied by other noteworthy individuals, including State Sen. Marko Liias, Edmonds United Methodist Church Pastor Jeremy Smith, Dr. Neil Sengai, a Public Health Professor at the University of Washington, Susan Paine, a member of the Edmonds City Council, and Josh Binda, a member of the Lynnwood City Council. Sharon Otness, one of the co-founders of Snohomish County Indivisible, welcomed everyone in attendance, noting that the collective urge to transform ‘anger into action’ was the driving force behind the creation of the group.
Following Sharon, Judi Gladstone took the stage as the event’s emcee. Her powerful opening remarks conveyed her disquiet with the governance in Washington D.C., as she identified herself not just as an emcee, but as one of the frustrated citizens of the United States. She spoke of her emotions — anger, fear, and shame — arising from recent political events, especially the immigration raids and protests in California that took many by surprise. Further exacerbating these feelings was the lavish military parade on the President’s birthday, costing approximately $45 million.
This costly display was ironically part of the celebrations marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Gladstone, after expressing her feelings, gave the podium to State Sen. Marko Liias, an Edmonds Democrat from the 21st District. Liias highlighted the administration’s use of diversionary tactics, comparing them to methods employed during historically significant protests, such as the Stonewall riots.
Liias spoke about the recent and tragic demise of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, honoring her for dedicating her life to the service of Minnesota’s citizens. He emphasized the urgency for dedicated resistance against the Trump administration’s attempts to sow discord and create distractions. In his view, such tactics were a means to undermine the Constitution by fostering division and focusing attention away from critically important issues.
Further illustrating this, Liias cited instances like the President’s first-day declaration that there are only two genders, describing it as a direct attempt to distract and drive a wedge amongst people. According to Liias, this goes beyond issuing divisive statements. The real aim is to distract the public from more insidious actions, such as gutting the Department of Education, which subsequently affects classrooms across the nation. These measures, he said, were a part of a broader ‘distract and divide’ campaign that must be resisted.
Further stage presence included Chris Weare and Diane Nelson, leading the crowd in a rendition of the classic protest anthem, ‘We Shall Overcome.’ Pastor Jeremy Smith from Edmonds United Methodist Church shared his thoughts, positing that ‘justice is what love looks like in public.’ Dr. Neil Sengai from the University of Washington’s School of Public Health lashed out against the Medicare cuts and reductions in health research funding by the Trump administration.
Terry Preshaw, an immigration attorney, took the mic next, criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation activities as unconstitutional. She was followed by Dr. Neil Sengai again, who continued to stress the negative impacts of the Medicare and research funding cuts. The attendees also heard from Carlo Voli, organizer of a Tesla protest. He cautioned the crowd about the uninterrupted threat looming from Elon Musk and other similar ‘oligarchs.’
Susan Paine, an Edmonds City Councilmember, drew upon history to make her point, referring to one of her ancestors who signed the Declaration of Independence. This document shone a light on the ways in which monarchies suppressed freedom, a scenario she saw mirroring current times. Josh Binda, a Lynnwood City Councilmember, then took the stage, introducing himself as an American, born to two Liberian refugees. His parents had fled a dictatorial regime, and yet, he saw similar patterns unfolding in the country they found refuge in.
An emotional testimony came from Amanda Thornton-Dewitt, a Gulf War veteran who had joined the Navy at a young age. She committed to serving her country against all foes, both abroad and domestic, a pledge she said she remained true to despite suffering a severe injury during service. Following her discourse, the crowd heard from keynote speaker Rick Steves.
Steves began his speech by emphasizing the event was about patriotism, irrespective of party affiliations. He noted he wore purple on that day, a color symbolizing the fusing of red and blue political ideologies. According to him, democracy stood at risk from what he perceived to be the Trump administration’s efforts to seize control from public institutions, such as health services, education, lands, and parks.
Rick Steves asserted that the President’s objective was to weaken public confidence in prominent institutions, by planting his ideologues in positions of power to bring about their decline. Evidently, this ploy of discrediting and decimating institutions, such as the US Agency for International Development, had not only result in a sharp rise in the DOGE-induced deaths but also damaged the United States’ global standing and influence in developing countries.
Steves expressed his belief that the underlying motive for these cuts was to finance tax reductions for the wealthy and impair the IRS to the extent that tax evasion became effortless for the affluent. This concept, he claimed, had been a long-cherished desire of the Republicans, explaining that they had envisioned reducing the government to a size that could be ‘drowned in a bathtub.’
Steves concluded his oration by stressing the need for unity and collective effort to safeguard democracy. He urged all attendees to recognize the role they had to play, not as uniformed soldiers in a foreign land but as citizens fighting for their freedoms in their homeland. Following his emotive speech, the attendees dispersed, with many heading to the Masonic Hall/Old Opera House to continue the spirit of defiance by participating in a singalong of classic resistance songs.
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