NEWBURYPORT — Just hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to give his first second-term address before a joint session of Congress, around 100 citizens Tuesday afternoon flooded Market Square to protest what they see as a man looking to become king.
“Creating awareness is why we’re here today,” Newbury resident Jacob Hagen said. “I want to be the first one to step up and show people that we have a voice. We can take back this country.”
Hagan organized the protest, along with Coltin Drive resident Pam Way. It saw people young and old holding signs protesting Trump’s close involvement with the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, while 1980s rock anthem “We’re Not Gonna Take It” played in the background.
“We’re standing up for democracy,” Way said. “We’re not happy with what’s going on with the administration today.”
Signs were also seen that supported Ukraine in its effort to push out Russian forces, among other things, as many motorists passing by honked their horns in support.
Working with the Indivisible progressive non-profit organization, Way said she put the word out two days ago, letting people know she was going to hold a protest ahead of Trump’s speech.
Similar protests were expected to break out across the country. Within 15 minutes of forming, the Newburyport rally had over 50 people waving signs.
“We made a whole bunch of new signs, so we’re ready to go,” Way said.
Way also said she was upset about the many budget cuts both Trump and Musk have been proposing through the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (also known as DOGE).
“(He’s talking about) cutting Social Security and Medicaid,” she said. “He’s going to cut those unless they come up with some sort of phenomenal, I don’t know what. More people need to start paying attention because we’re starting to lose our democracy.”
Way was also concerned about what she said were the rights Trump was taking away from people.
“Just today, he came out and said you can’t hold an ‘illegal’ protest at colleges,” she said. “Protests aren’t illegal. Just the fact that he thinks that whatever he says is going to happen, he’s becoming a dictator.”
Trump, as far as Way is concerned, likes the power his office has afforded to him.
“That’s all he cares about,” she said.
Hagen said he was disgusted by Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, which saw the Ukrainian president essentially kicked out of the Oval Office.
He also has many friends in the LGBTQ+ community back home in Iowa – where new laws have been passed restricting transgender rights – he’s concerned about.
“These people are fleeing and trying to get away. So it hits home,” he said. “The fight is going on there but it’s coming here, sooner than people think it is.”
Hagen said seeing the many cars driving by showing their support for his protest made him feel better about the situation.
Way said she was grateful she lived in a predominantly Democratic state like Massachusetts.
“It doesn’t hit quite as hard here, yet,” she said. “But it will.”
Francis T. Bresnahan Elementary School fifth-grader Oscar Ainsworth was taking part in the first political protest of his life.
The 10-year-old said his brother is transgender, while his father works for a Ukrainian company. He was there to support them both.
“I’m standing up for them,” he said.
Ainsworth also said he was having a good time watching cars go by and honk their support for the cause. His mother, Jennifer Ainsworth said she was glad to see such a big turnout.
Sally Hamblen drove up from Lynnfield to join the protest. She brought a sign with her that read, “No Kings Here!’
“I believe Donald J. Trump wants to be a king and we don’t have kings here. There are no kings in America,” she said. “I’m also worried about Social Security. I’m worried about Medicare. I’ve worked my whole life and I need my Social Security to live on.”