More than 1,000 people are estimated to have gathered at Needham’s town common on Saturday, Oct. 18, joining millions across the country for another national No Kings demonstration. The events are held to protest the policies of President Donald Trump.
Bill Paulson, a member of Needham Resists that organized the local event, said such activism reflects the critical role of individuals in a democracy, citing the opening words of the U.S. Constitution, ‘We the people.’ “Your voice matters,” he said.
The emcee for the event was Needham resident Gary Gillis, who noted the rallies have been called by some in Washington “hate America” rallies. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. “We are here because we love America. We love the words of the Constitution. We are so grateful that we live in Massachusetts where we have representatives who listen to us and who resist,” said Gillis.
Echoing that theme, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss reminded the crowd that the U.S. Constitution was modeled on the Massachusetts Constitution written by John Adams in the 1780s. “We have a long practice, here in this state, of standing up for the rule of law, for freedom and for science and we’re going to continue to do that,” he said. He also asked for support in his efforts on behalf of free speech. “Today our information system is controlled by social media platforms. I need your help. Join me not just in standing up for the rule of law but stand up with me for true freedom of speech,” he said.
State Sen. Becca Rausch also called on the crowd to be active. “Whatever it is that you want to improve. Whatever light you want to see at the end of this tunnel, it will not happen without your direct engagement in our government,” she said. “Do not stop with today’s solidarity. Use it to be the change we want.”
Among the crowd of residents from Needham and neighboring towns were several families who brought younger members to give them a sense of what they considered to be democracy in action.
“I’m here to teach my children about how we want the world to be,” said Christine Greimann of Needham who was with her children Wesley and Jackson.
Sally Wu of Needham brought her 11-year-old daughter. “Democracy is so important. We’ve taken it for granted for so long and it’s slipping away and we just can’t let it happen,” she said. “I think it’s important for her to know what we have here, it could be gone. We really need to protect it and in our way stand up for it. I really want her to see that,” said Wu.
Nicole and Jimmy Robbins of Needham brought their children Chorli 8 and Milo 6. “Equality and democracy is what this country is all about,” said Chorli.
Ten-year-old Cassie Durbin of Needham attended the rally with her uncle and other family members. “I came because my family asked me to. I don’t like Donald Trump,” she said. Her uncle, Will Durbin grew up in Needham and lived for many years in D.C. “I worked at USAID, and a lot of my friends lost their jobs,” he said, also noting the loss of food and medical aid. “It’s really important that we’re here to support this cause and let our voice be heard.”
Bob Baker contributed to this story.
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