Protesters rally at courthouse to keep heat on Meehan, mark Trump’s first 100 days
MEDIA >> About three dozen people gathered outside the Delaware County Courthouse Saturday afternoon to decry the first 100 days of President Donald Trump while touting the efforts of those resisting his policies.
“Every day, I think I am taking my country back a little more than yesterday,” Newtown Square resident Abu Rahman said. Rahman has been involved in the Indivisible Main Line South group, and joined many in the crowds as being a part of an Indivisible group.
These groups sprouted up shortly after the November election and simulated methods of the Tea Party in creating a strategy aimed at immobilizing Trump’s agenda.
Carrying signs of “We Deserve Better” and “It’s time to go after 100 days of failure,” the audience chanted, “He’s orange. He’s gross. He lost the popular vote.” among others.
At one point during the rally, a person yelled out, “Trump!” from a vehicle passing by.
Will Kampfman began the action.
“Today’s event is meant to highlight all of the great work that has been done during the first 100 days of the Trump presidency,” he said to loud boo’s and heckles.
“Not on the administration side,” he quickly retorted, “but on the resistance side. Our work, right?”
That statement was with cheers.
Rahman took issue Kampfman when he met
with said there were 1,300 days left.
“Another 1,300?” he asked. “100 days seems like 100 years to me.”
He shared what his group, which he said has 400 volunteers, has been doing the last three months.
“We made thousands and thousands of phone calls,” Rahman said. “We wrote hundreds and hundreds of letters.”
He said they participated in approximately three dozen marches in Washington, Philadelphia and locally and they’ve visited the offices of U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford and U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa.
“Everything works,” he said. “(And) it’s not just us. Millions and millions of people across the country are doing what we are doing. That’s called democracy.”
Having been a resident for the last 40 years, Rahman said he’s concerned about what’s happening to the United States.
“I thought that we made the right move when I came in 1974,” he said. “And now, I worry for my children, my grandchildren.”
Brian Zidek had sentiments.
Although the Nether Providence similar resident is unopposed in the primary, he will face Republican contenders John Perfetti and County Councilman Dave White in the fall.
Referring to his bald head, he joked, “A lot of you don’t know me but 100 days ago, I had a full head of hair. This is what happened to me.”
Then, Zidek shared what propelled him to run for office.
He spoke of the early morning hours as the presidential election results were unveiling.
“I watched my wife crying,” Zidek said, choking up, “and I said to myself, ‘I can’t stand by. I can’t just let this happen and not fight.’ That’s why I decided to run.”
And, he said despite a majority of registered voters, Democrats have been unable to get any county elected position for decades because they don’t get the support of the electorate.
“If you want to change what goes on in Washington, if you want to change what goes on in Harrisburg, we need to change what goes on right here in Delaware County,” he said.
Colleen Guiney, chair of the Swarthmore Democrats, agreed as she spoke to the attendants.
“We need all hands on deck,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are frustrated but they have not necessarily decided to convert their frustration into voting. I want people to remember that even in an offyear, things matter. There are contested races across the county.”
Guiney said she wanted more people to do their civic duty.
“I just want to increase turnout,” she said. “I just want more people to vote than last time. It does make a difference.”