By Gabbie Burton
Contributing Writer

While rain was enough to put off protest plans, it was not enough to put out the fire that inspired the protest in the first place. 

A self-described “ad hoc” group of the Kennett Area Democrats postponed their Kennett Square protest against the Trump administration on April 11 due to inclement weather and instead met at the Kennett Township Building to make posters for their next protests, which are scheduled for April 18, May 2 and May 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the corners of State and Union streets in Kennett Square Borough and in East Marlborough Township at the corner of routes 926 and 82.

Victoria Wiedwald, one of the organizers of the group, said that about 60 people had signed up to participate in the protest, and about 20 of them met to make posters. She shared that the group is planning more protests for May and looking to grow in numbers and support.

“I don’t know how long we’ll do it, but we’ll do it as long as we need to,” Wiedwald said. “We want everyone to participate.”

While the group is protesting the current administration’s activities at large, individuals each had their own grievances that inspired them to attend the event. Posters with messages about protecting democracy, protesting DOGE cuts, immigration concerns and women’s rights were plentiful in the meeting room.

Joanne Kalmbach attended with three friends who all originally planned on participating in the protest and shared that prior to now she had little experience in protests but felt that she had to get involved. Kalmbach’s friend Andi Healy shared that her main motivator in joining the group has been to protest the current administration’s approach to immigration.

“To use vulnerable people to instigate fear in our country resembles tactics used in the Nazi regime,” Healy said. “I’m aghast history is repeating itself.”

Healy’s activism led her to start a group called Brave Women to Women, that invites local women to gather weekly and voice their political frustrations and concerns in order to avoid feelings of isolation. Both Healy and Kalmbach plan on attending this week’s protest.

While some in the group are new to protest and political activism, others are not. Marian Hay, another organizer of the group, said that she protested against the Vietnam War as a teenager, but sees the current political landscape as potentially even more dire.

“This is greater than Vietnam because [the opposition now] is about saving our democracy,” she said.

Hay emphasized the importance of protesting in getting their message across and hopes to see change come from their action.

“This is not just a West Chester, Philly or New York thing, because there are a lot of people who are protesting all over,” she said. “A crowd will always show up, and I think the message needs to get across that protests are not a one-and-done thing. We need to keep the pressure on so the administration can see.”

Some in the group said that their protests and collective activism will lead to tangible change.

“The goal is for those who strongly disagree with the authoritarian pathway to keep coming out and protesting and that it will have an impact on midterm elections,” Hay said. “Our goal is to put it in people’s faces.”

To contact Contributing Writer Gabbie Burton, email [email protected].