Activists ‘March for Truth’ at Riverfront Park
A group of activists gathered in Riverfront Park June 3 equipped with signs and plenty to say.
The Concerned Constituent Action Group organized a rally in the park to speak up about the need for honesty in government. The group describes itself as “a nonpartisan group of constituents from Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District concerned by the dismantling of our environmental and societal protections.”
The rally was one of hundreds that took place all over the country June 3, including San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. A counterprotest called “Pittsburgh Not Paris” also emerged in D.C. in support of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.
Around 100 people showed up for the March for Truth in Pottstown to listen to guest speakers and voice their opinions on government issues.
“I hope to continue to illustrate that I believe the majority of Americans are opposed to Donald Trump’s policies,” said Martha Dalrymple of Downingtown. “I think that we need to be overt and public about that opposition in order to try to effect change.”
The rally had several objectives pertaining to government transparency. According to the event website, one of the main purposes of the rally was to “call for urgent, transparent and impartial investigations into Russian interference in the U.S. election and ties to the Trump administration.”
And those who showed up had plenty to say on the subject. Attendees held signs demanding truth and calling for an independent investigation into the administration’s alleged Russian ties.
“Our democracy and the underlying fabric of truth, which undergirds everything in our democracy, is under assault by our president and his minions,” said Liz Cates of Bern Township, Berks County. “It’s blindingly obvious to me that this has to change. It’s unacceptable.”
Others expressed similar feelings, indicating that they came to make their voice heard because they don’t know what else to do.
“I didn’t think I would be out marching and protesting every week, calling my elected officials, trying to meet other like-minded people, but that’s what I’m doing,” said Zayn Szurgot of Fleetwood, another attendee. “Even with George W. Bush, my biggest protest was just to change my party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. But I feel like there’s nowhere to go now with Donald Trump.”
Following speeches by guest speakers, including Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17th Dist., and CNN political commentator Sally Kohn, rallygoers were invited to stands set up under the nearby pavilion where they could create buttons, make videos to share on Twitter and even register to vote.
“This is a whole new ball of wax right now,” said Cates. “People need to be totally engaged in their own self-interest and they need to wake up and take a look at what’s happening with this administration.”