More than 50 people assembled Monday in Keene’s Central Square for a Presidents’ Day gathering to express concerns about the Trump administration. The gathering was part of a national day of protest on the holiday.
Kristen Petricola of Keene and Bob McKelvey of Swanzey organized the event through Facebook, they said, connecting with people from as far as Massachusetts and Vermont. Petricola described the gathering as a chance for people to “come out and celebrate the democratic values that we hold dear.”
Petricola feels those values are at risk under the Trump administration. She described President Donald Trump’s executive orders, his rhetoric suggesting he may not be willing to comply with court orders that oppose them, and his promotion of unelected people, including Elon Musk, as “terrifying.” “That’s fascism,” she said.
Trump was elected in November to his second term with about 49.8 percent of the popular vote, with many supporters citing deep concerns about inflation and foreign policy.
Since taking office, he has drawn criticism for sweeping executive orders, threats of tariffs on allies, allowing Musk and other unelected people to access secure government data, mass layoffsand freezing funding to USAID and other programs, among other actions.
McKelvey said he was worried the cold weather and gusty winds might limit turnout to the Central Square protest, but said he was pleased with the size of the group that gathered from around noon until 1 p.m. Monday. “It’s important to stand up to protect our democracy … what’s going on is a coup,” he said.
Many demonstrators carried signs with messages like “stand up to dictators,” “this is a constitutional crisis” and “Elon Musk has control of the U.S. treasury.”
Longtime Keene resident Robert Brown’s sign read “President not king.” He said he expects a “constitutional crisis” should a Trump executive order reach the Supreme Court. “This ain’t a joke … Eff around and find out is what American voters did,” he said.
Abigail Ham can be reached at 603-355 8554 or aham@keenesentinel.com.
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