Updated Sept. 24
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exited a Cape Air flight at Martha’s Vineyard Airport around 1 pm on Tuesday flanked by Secret Service agents, ducked into a black SUV, and then joined a motorcade making its way to an annual meeting with tribal representatives from across the country in Aquinnah.
At the airport, where dozens had gathered, and on his way to Aquinnah, Kennedy was confronted by protesters opposed to his anti-vaccine work and cuts made to his health department, among other stances. As Kennedy’s motorcade passed through where lower Moshup Trail meets State Road in Aquinnah — where the main protest was located — an estimated 100 protesters yelled “Quack!” and closed in on the vehicles, forcing the black SUVs to slow down as they passed by sign-waving Islanders.
Protesters carried signs calling to stand with science — like “Science not nonsense!” — and for a rejection of Kennedy’s presence on the Vineyard. Drumming and singing in the Wampanoag language rang out during the Aquinnah protest. Many of the passing motorists honked their horns and raised thumbs-up in support.
Although the protests were mobilized on short notice — Aquinnah Police Chief Randhi Belain said his department was notified about the demonstration on Monday — a network of Islanders kept tabs on Kennedy’s movements as the main group waited for his motorcade. Protesters shared with one another when Kennedy had departed from lunch in Edgartown, and passed through West Tisbury.
Kennedy has been steeped in controversy before and since joining the Trump administration as a cabinet member, particularly over his vocal skepticism of vaccines. Kennedy, alongside Trump, has become embroiled in further scrutiny for drawing a link between acetaminophen, a common brand being Tylenol, and autism –– an unsubstantiated claim that’s received widespread pushback from doctors. Some state officials have praised Kennedy’s initiatives to remove ultra-processed food from public lunches.
“Everybody’s pretty heated at the moment –– especially those of us with children [who] are here to represent for our kids who don’t have the voice that we [do],” said Donna Sullivan, an Aquinnah resident with two boys and one girl, who described herself as a “big believer in modern medicine.”
Islanders came out because of concerns over potential threats to health research from federal funding cuts. Doug Gordon, an Edgartown resident who has Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, noted tick research was being stifled by cuts.
Aquinnah residents John and Theresa Levinson, a doctor and retired nurse respectively, biked to the protest and highlighted that they were dismayed by the upending of public health.
“These guys cherry-pick studies to show what they want to believe is true,” John Levinson said of Kennedy and the Trump administration. “Instead of believing experts in epidemiology and infectious disease and medicine and science, they are spewing horse hockey.”
One couple, taking a break from their vacation, came out with their grandchild to protest. “We heard RFK was coming, and we wanted to help stop him,” Deb Larson Venable from Milton told The Times. “He’s a quack.”
The secretary was visiting the Vineyard as a part of an annual meeting that has been held in a different tribal nation each year. It’s sponsored by an advisory group made up of tribal representatives from across the country called the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee. The group advises cabinet members and other policymakers from across the federal government, and supports tribal members and causes. This is the first time the meeting was held on the Vineyard.
Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Aquinnah Wampanoag chairwoman and a longtime member of the committee, previously told The Times that this was an opportunity to show federal policymakers issues the Island tribe is dealing with, like tick-borne illnesses and the reintroduction of native foods into production for improved health among its members. So far, according to Andrews-Maltais, Kennedy has been supportive of indigenous communities and avoided layoffs in the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Still, Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe members at the protest were upset that there wasn’t enough community outreach from tribal leadership before Kennedy was invited onto their homeland.
“We support science, we support medicine, and this is not what our people want. We didn’t ask for him to come here on our land,” said Nyssa Duarte, clinical nurse for the tribe. She called Kennedy’s rhetoric a “threat to public safety,” and said she didn’t want to see a drop in vaccination rates among students — a fear shared by doctors across the country.
Serel Garvin, a member of the tribe, said he had only found out about Kennedy’s visit on Monday, and reached out to other tribe members who lived down-Island and weren’t aware of the secretary’s visit.
Protest all you want, but when you’re standing in the road causing a vehicle to need to slow down to avoid you….thats going too far. Grow up people.
So, I guess storming the Capital Building, causing democracy to “slow down”, is fine with you?
I cannot comprehend how RFK Jr. refuses to accept science. His willful ignorance endangers lives.
Have you read any of Kennedy’s books?
If you had I don’t think you would say that RFK Jr. “refuses to accept science.”
“Science” is not one monolithic thing.
He picks and chooses the science he accepts, but not according to scientific principles. And vaccines, which are lifesaving, are among the science he doesn’t accept. My mother used to tell me how she feared the coming of summer (when polio cases peaked) because she was afraid my brother and I might get it, and how relieved she was when the polio vaccine came out. It was a very big deal. Children who got bad cases of polio used to end up in iron lungs.
I have friends who knew RFK Jr. when they were growing up–people who went to school, including high school with him. They never had much respect for him. And even his siblings have warned people about him.
Well done guys. The man is causing damage worldwide with his cranky beliefs
Why do liberal lslanders bite off their nose to spite their face? RFK Jr was visiting MV to meet with tribal reps to support tribal members and causes. Here on earth, that is normally a good thing to be supported.
Yes, this is how the crazies who love to protest anything Welcom distinguished government officials to the Island. Shameful how silent this whole crazy group of radicals did not stage a memorial and show outrage for assassinations of distinguished political figures. Stay tuned This group will show up at five corners again as this is their life with nothing better to do.
Please tell me by “distinguished political figures” you’re not referring to Charlie Kirk.
Your comment regarding Charlie Kirk is beyond reprehensible. Shame on you. Ignorance is bliss I guess.
How many Trump supporters and administration officials showed outrage at the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, or the attempted assassination of Minnesota state senator John Hoffman and his wife? Don’t know? Go ahead, do the research. I’ll wait.
House resolution 519 condemning the assassanation of Mellisa Hortman passed 424-0
Not one trump supporter voted against
Thanks for suggesting I do the research
Shows the difference in the two parties
Funny how the ” my body my choice ” argument goes right out the window when it comes to vaccines
They say they should control your children’s bodies because the vaccines save children’s lives unborn children’s lives, well I guess that’s just a donkey of a different color
Yes, vaccines save lives from highly contagious dangerous diseases that affect the public health. Vaccines protect all of us. And yes, if someone chooses to abort a fetus, that is the choice of only the pregnant person, is a private matter, and does not affect public health. So you’re right. The situations are different. You may disagree with individuals’ reproductive rights based on your own religious or personal reasons, but luckily we have separation of church and state.
Well said!
Sooooo, a parent has no right to choose what goes into his own child’s body? THAT’S your position? Also, I thought vaccines were about protecting your own self or child. If you or your child is protected, why are you concerned?
Due to herd immunity which kicks in at around 75 percent vaccination rates. However not all vaccines require herd immunity and work only for the individual. Tetanus for example.
Vaccines are about protecting everyone, especially the most immunologically vulnerable among us. We should all be concerned about a decline in overall public health when people choose not to vaccinate.
I would like to see coverage in our local papers about the annual meeting of Indigenous leaders across the nation, which was hosted for the first time in Aquinnah.
I believe that it is more than a donkey of a different color. When you are making a decision regarding whether to bare a child that is a very personal decision affecting you and your immediate family. When you decide not to vaccinate your child, you are not only endangering the child, but all the other children and adults in the community. Many of these diseases have killed or crippled millions over the years. They have now been eradicated where enough people have received vaccinations tot create herd immunity. What Kennedy and his followers are doing is sowing doubt, decreasing the number of vaccinated people needed for herd immunity, and thus endangering the lives of all Americans who will then be exposed to the disease. This is not simply a matter of personal choice.
I don’t get it. The tylenol findings/conclusions come from a (liberal) Harvard study, a study that has been conducted for several years. It would appear that science is involved.
I was one of the people protesting RFK Jr at the airport yesterday. We are lucky to live in a country where we can protest or satirize the actions of our elected officials. Of course we can — we aren’t supposed to feel afraid of our leaders! If anyone who views RFK as a “distinguished government official” had wanted to come to the airport to hold a sign welcoming him, you could have done exactly that on the same site. Both sides would have left each other alone, as we all believe in non-violent protest. As far as “staging a memorial” for a “distinguished political figure,” if anyone supporting Charlie Kirk’s views wished to hold a vigil for him at Five Corners, you could have organized that yourself. Or you could have joined the two people at Boch Park who protested his terrible murder. That was your right, if you agree with what he stood for and what he said. I preferred to condemn that violence in my own way, without supporting his odious views, by contributing to Everytown for Gun Safety. Finally, in response to one of our fellow citizen’s disdainful comments, we ARE people with better things to do — we are your neighbors and fellow dog lovers, we work and contribute to this wonderful community, and we protest non-violently to call attention to administration actions with which we disagree. It is an essential right of every American. You may choose to stay home and not participate, or participate only in online insults. That’s your right, too.
Good article but indicates dozens at airport. In fact there were more than 150 people at airport and many more in Aquinnah. Many interesting signs which the limos passed too quickly for Mr Kennedy to read. Good that in the US people are still free to protest and others are free to write comments, reflective of their education or lack of, such as some of those above.
A difference of political beliefs does not equate to a lack of education or stupidity. Most people think they are much smarter than they really are.
As with religious beliefs as there are many. You can protest (non violently) for or against.
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME TO HAVE THAT CHOICE.
AMERICA allows you to have that FREEDOM!
I’m trusting the meeting will benefit the tribe in all respects. RFK Jr. isn’t all bad.
RFK Jr. has spent decades in public service and environmental protection. He founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global network of over 300 groups defending waterways, and as an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, he fought to reduce industrial pollution. He played a key role in stopping a salt project in Baja California that threatened gray whale breeding grounds, worked with indigenous communities to protect their lands, and helped secure New York City’s watershed through a landmark agreement recognized worldwide. TIME named him a ‘Hero for the Planet,’ and he has received multiple awards for environmental justice. He has also raised concerns about vaccine safety, transparency, and rising childhood diseases. While some of his positions are debated, his record shows a consistent focus on protecting communities, health, and the environment.
The right to protest peacefully is a cherished part of America’s heritage that deserves protection. I saw some of my favorite people out there exercising this right. I do question whether we’re opening a can of worms by normalizing protesting people we find distasteful rather than saying “Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard whoever you are, have a nice visit.” I would hate to see people harass the Obamas and claim what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. I’m sure there are people who experience the same reaction to them that the crowd felt towards RFK because of their political philosophy and media diet.
Julian, I’m troubled by people saying things like, “both political parties do that.” It is not true.
Trump’s administration is the most corrupt of any president ever, by a lot. A reporter over the weekend interviewed someone about Comey and they commented that Trump is so much worse than Nixon, and society was horrified by Nixon’s horrible behavior. Why aren’t we, this society, horrified by what trump and his administration are doing?
I have been a registered Independent since I was 18 and neither of these parties has convinced me to change that status. I see admirable qualities and idiocies in both, and sadly the last 20 years has been a case of choosing lesser evils. My comment has nothing to do with the merits or sins of Trump, Obama, and RFK so much as asking a question that as yet has not been answered: Do we want to abandon our longstanding tradition of welcoming people of all stripes and allowing them to enjoy their visits without interruption or unsolicited attention?
He came to honnor Ted’s memory.
To those protesting parents claiming RFK Jr is, “refusing science” or a “science denier”
-From Vineyard Gazette Gazette Oct 5, 2023:
Students in Martha’s Vineyard public schools have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the state, according to data released by the Department of Public Health.
The Chilmark School kindergarten was flagged as having the second highest vaccine exemption rate of any school in Massachusetts, with 23.1 per cent of students receiving exemptions from one or more vaccines, while 7 per cent received no vaccinations.
Kindergartners across Dukes County have a higher proportion of vaccine exemptions than anywhere else in the state, with a 6.3 per cent countywide exemption rate compared to the 1.4 per cent state average. The rate is a reduction from 2021, when the Gazette reported that 7.5 per cent of Island kindergartners received an exemption.
According to the Department of Public Health website, “areas with higher exemption rates may be more susceptible to disease outbreaks because these students are not fully protected.”
– Editor’s note: In Sept. 2023, MV Times reported that 1 in 4 Chilmark School kindergartners received vaccine exemption, second highest in Massachusetts
https://www.mvtimes.com/2023/09/28/1-4-chilmark-school-kindergartners-received-vaccine-exemption/
There is legislation now on Beacon Hill to get rid of exemptions and i hope it passes.