‘No Kings’ protest comes to Middleboro
A group of protesters hold signs at the No Kings protest in Middleboro Oct. 18. Photos by Grace Roche
Protesters display their signs to traffic stopped at a red light. 
A line of protesters crowd the sidewalks at the junction of Routes 105 and 28. 
Protest attendees show off their signs. 
Protesters stand on a street corner during the protest Saturday.
A group of protesters hold signs at the No Kings protest in Middleboro Oct. 18. Photos by Grace Roche
Protesters display their signs to traffic stopped at a red light.
A line of protesters crowd the sidewalks at the junction of Routes 105 and 28.
Protest attendees show off their signs.
Protesters stand on a street corner during the protest Saturday.
MIDDLEBORO — Hand-drawn signs, lines of protesters and the endless honking of horns filled the busy intersection of Routes 105 and 28 for Middleboro’s first No Kings protest.
Over 100 people took to the sidewalk to protest the Trump administration and express their frustration with the current political climate Saturday, Oct. 18.
The protest was part of a national movement organized by Indivisible, an activist organization opposing Trump’s policies. The first No Kings protest was held June 14, coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday and a parade in Washington celebrating the military’s 250th anniversary.
Criticism of the celebration followed, with parallels drawn between authoritarian displays of power in countries such as Germany and North Korea, and complaints the president used the day to celebrate his birthday.
According to Indivisible, these protests drew an approximated 5 million participants across over 2,000 towns and cities.
Middleboro Democratic Town Committee and Oak Point Democrats member Murray Vetstein brought the protest to Middleboro.
The organizer said despite the town supporting Trump in the past three elections, there is a significant portion of residents who oppose the president and want to have their voices heard.
“There’s a feeling that it’s hopeless in Middleboro, but it is not hopeless in Middleboro,” he said. “We’re going to change that.”
While he only expected about 20 people to show up when he first planned the event, Vetstein said he was “absolutely thrilled” with the turnout and was pleased to see some local political figures attend as well.
One of these figures, Select Board member Thomas White, said he attended the rally not as an elected official but as a citizen.
He said he was hesitant to attend because of possible political consequences, but is scared of the direction American politics is headed and doesn’t want to be ruled by what he called a "dictator."
“This is who I am and this is where I have to be, and if I wasn’t here I'd feel like a coward,” White said.
“I’m very proud of the people of Middleboro for coming out and standing up,” he added.
Karen Bates, a Middleboro resident, said she attended the protest to stand up to the “horrific” administration. She said she opposes what she described as divisive and cruel policies, particularly regarding immigration enforcement.
"It's scary, and if we don’t stand up to it now, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in three more years,” Bates said.
She and her wife have attended numerous protests in the area and she said she hopes for more “normalcy” in politics including bipartisan communication.
“We’ll continually march as long as we have to,” Bates said. “My hope is that one day we won’t have to do this, that’s my dream.”
She said she was pleased with the day’s turnout and the support of drivers passing through the intersection. While a few directed obscene gestures toward the crowd, many of the people who drove past honked, gave a thumbs-up or shouted encouragement.
“There’s always going to be some naysayers, there’s always going to be people who throw you the finger or give you the thumbs down, but overall I think we’re getting more positive responses than not,” said Meghan Dawe, a Rockland resident.
Dawe and her mother previously lived in a neighboring town and she said they attended to support the community and protect the rights of immigrants, people of color and other marginalized groups.
The pair attended the Boston No Kings protest in June and said even though the Middleboro didn’t draw a similar number of attendees, they were encouraged by how many South Coast towns participated in the nationwide protest.
“It’s just fabulous that the local communities are getting involved,” she said. “It’s no longer just the big cities. Being able to see the community, seeing people of all ages out here — it’s just nice to know that your neighbors are supporting you.”
Vetstein said he was happy to see the community show up, but hopes to get younger people involved in the future. He said he has a different perspective as someone who has lived through more of history and lost family members in the Holocaust.
Although he is older, and said current policies affect him less due to his age, he said he wanted to protest for the next generation’s sake, including his two granddaughters.
“We have to fight back or we’re going to lose our country,” Vetstein said.
