Islanders protest against Trump’s recent executive orders

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More than 20 Islanders stood out at Five Corners on Feb. 5 protesting numerous executive orders Donald Trump has signed since taking office Jan. 20. 

Locals held up signs that read “Congress, Stand Up to Musk,” and “Make America Kind Again,” imploring state and national leaders to resist President Trump and Elon Musk’s recent actions — specifically their moves to discontinue diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) protections, threaten undocumented immigrants with deportation, and their plans to pull funding from social services and educational programs. 

The local event was organized by the Martha’s Vineyard Peace Council, run by Bruce and Sarah Nevin, as part of a national protest called the 50501 Movement that took place in multiple states. The tagline of the countrywide call to action was “50 States, 50 Capitals, 50 Marches.” According to USA Today, there were reports of multiple protests around the country. 

The rally is the second such protest on the Island since Saturday, when Islanders called for protections for immigrants at Five Corners. That event was planned by Lynn Ditchfield, who was also present at Wednesday’s event. “I know that rapid response is essential for us — for us to be prepared to defend our community,” Ditchfield said of her presence there.

Sarah Nevin arrived at the demonstration just before noon, and used a large Sharpie to edit signs she had used for previous protests. The sign read “Congress, Stand Up to NRA,” but she crossed out “NRA” and wrote “MUSK” in large letters. She has been protesting on various issues for decades. 

“Congress has to stand up and take control,” she said. “They know it’s wrong. They have to start showing up.”

As more locals arrived, the signs addressed a wider range of issues. Suesan Stovall, a local artist, held up a sign that read “Try a Little Tenderness,” in reference to the popular Otis Redding tune. Her message was one of peacefulness, despite the rhetoric she’s seen. “Our democracy is under siege,” she said. “We have to remain hopeful and joyful in spite of it all.” 

The larger the group got, the more varied the messaging. Car horns honked loudly driving by, with some people rolling down their windows to yell out their support. Protesters wrung their hands in the cold, flinched at each gust of frigid air, and shook their signs passionately with every show of public support. 

Oak Bluffs resident David Mintz displayed a sign that referenced the war in Gaza, with the intention of Palestinian liberation. “I’m out here to express opposition to dictatorship, war, austerity, repression, and inequality, and to demonstrate that we’re not afraid to say so in public,” he told the Times. 

As the rest of the group waved their signs for cars and passersby, co-organizer Bruce Nevin wove through the crowd to hand out Red Cards with “Know Your Rights” information for the safety of immigrants. The song “We Shall Overcome” rang out in the background, as a group of protesters sang together. They chanted “DEI affects all of us” between the resonant lyrics. 

Although Nevin hasn’t protested for a few years, he said the M.V. Peace Council is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the community at this time. His group is primarily concerned with issues of war, conflict, and nuclear disarmament, and recently he has been grappling with the ways violence has been perpetrated and accepted in this country. As a result, he has taken a hiatus from public protests. Until now. After Trump’s election, he felt motivated to bring his fight to the Island community again, and believes democracy is at a critical moment. “This is a protest against the violence of law,” he noted.

“The resistance comes from the population, and from us locally,” Nevin expressed. “It’s only at this level that we can hold the line and look at one another. That’s the purpose of the gathering … It’s not to change something at that moment, it’s to recognize that we are not alone.”