On the seventeenth consecutive week of pro-democracy protests in Galesburg, things were a bit different.
This time, protestors gathered at the public square on Sunday evening, just before sunset, and sat in lawn chairs.
Instead of flags and decorated posters, they held candles.
Instead of chants, there was song, from “America the Beautiful” to the Negro spiritual “Hold on.”
“No signs tonight,” said Maeve Reilly, who is part of the group that has been organizing these rallies from the start and speaking out against Trump administration policies affecting healthcare, scientific research, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and more. “We just want people to get together to talk about the experiences that they've been having and why they're here and hear some camaraderie and some songs.”
Reilly said they planned Candles for Democracy in the afterglow of No Kings Day, a national protest on June 14 that brought out millions of people across the country and more than 600 in Galesburg.
It also came after the shootings of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota and the U.S. bombing nuclear sites in Iran.
“We’re celebrating [No Kings Day] but also focusing on a lot of the issues that are currently happening and unfortunately this weekend something new with bombing in Iran. So trying to figure out where we are, where the administration's going ,and how we can support one another,” Reilly said.
Pastor Vince Marolla addressed the crowd gathered around the statue of Carl Sandburg in the center of the public square. He said when a gathering of people who share beliefs and values come together, they see that they’re not alone.
“Another thing about community that has always been a part of my thinking is community gathering, not to talk, but to take some time to listen,” Marolla said.
He said in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, there is chaos.
“And into that chaos, the spirit comes and the voice speaks and creation happens. So we're here tonight to listen to whatever it is that gives us hope, that gives us strength to listen and to focus and to refocus,” Marolla said.
David Amor also addressed the crowd. He said local protestors, week after week, are part of a collective national action sending an important message
“We are refusing to grant legitimacy to Trump and his administration. Our presence is saying here in Knox County, with reverberations far beyond, that this is not okay. This is not the United States of America. We are not a hateful, callous, and racist people,” Amor said. “And we know that millions of our fellow Americans are not either.”
Amor said, at the risk of sounding sappy, what they’re doing is an act of love.
“Not just love of country, though that's crucial and necessary. It's a necessary part of what motivates us. Ultimately, love for each other and for every person who is and has been victimized, oppressed, and harmed by Trump and his minions,” Amor said.
Weekly peaceful protests will continue in Galesburg. The group will also participate in the next national day of protest, John Lewis Good Trouble Day on July 17.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department, please consider making a financial contribution.
