Photo by Andreas Pelekis for The Lafayette
Easton United for Democracy organizers have held six protests at various locations in Downtown Easton.
After Donald Trump retook control of the presidency last January, a group of Easton residents wanted to preserve what they saw as a loss of democracy.
Six protests later, Easton United for Democracy has led hundreds of protestors in demonstrations against the Trump administration.
“We are all very involved in the community in one way or another,” said Easton resident Megan McBride, an organizer in the group. “So I think for us, it was just very natural when this came up, that we have to protect our community and what we have here in our country.”
During the group’s most recent protest on Saturday, there were closer to 50 attendees lined up against Larry Holmes Drive on an icy sidewalk, large signs in gloved hands, with winter hats and cups of coffee courtesy of a resident’s generous Wawa order.
“We’re not trying to say that we have the answers, but we need to make other people aware that these things are going to be affecting them, whether they think they are or not,” organizer Steven Schmid said. He was one of many who gave speeches at a larger Easton No King’s Day rally last October, and emceed the group’s first protest last March.
Social media accounts allow Easton United for Democracy to advertise their protests, but a lot of the group’s information spreads by “word of mouth,” according to protest organizer Marie Demarais, a newer resident of Easton.
Outside of the group’s protests, the series “Sip of Civics” was launched as a monthly series to discuss local government and its democratic actions. The first one, held at ThreeBirds Coffee House, took place on Jan. 15. The organization also solicits food donations at each of its protests to support local nonprofits; Saturday’s proceedings went to the Easton Neighborhood Center.
Tyler Troutman ‘28, one of a few Lafayette College students at the protest, first learned of Easton United for Democracy when fellow members of the re-forming Lafayette Democrats club recently texted in a group chat.
Protestors lined Larry Holmes Drive on Saturday in a protest titled “Signs of Fascism.” (Photo by Andreas Pelekis)
“I hope that the club works with them more in-depth and formally throughout the semester, that maybe we have more of these protests,” he said.
Stephen and Nancy Szabo held signs and roses in honor of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis, events that have spurred sweeping Minnesota protests and federal investigations.
The Bethlehem couple attended their third Easton United for Democracy protest on Sunday.
“It just depends on if you’re for them or against them,” Nancy Szabo said of recent actions by ICE.
While the leadership of Easton United for Democracy is made up of long-time city residents, McBride emphasized that the group wants “more young people.”
Saturday’s protest was the larger of two demonstrations in Easton last week; a small, silent Lafayette College protest organized by Devin Muench ‘29 saw six students partake in a walk-out Friday to honor recent ICE victims.
“Hopefully it won’t need to happen again, but if it does, hopefully we’ll have more,” Meunch said.
Schmid wants city residents and officials to hear his voice, not his intricate understanding of local government.
“I know that everyone can’t do that, and so that is the little thing for me, I know I can do this,” he said of his outspokenness in the group. “I don’t know how to write a grant. I don’t know how to engage with the city to get different kinds of permissions and things like that.”
“It’s really true, it takes a community to keep a community, that’s what we’re really trying to do,” he continued. “Everyone deserves to be safe.”
Gabriela Perilli ‘29 contributed reporting.