BROOKINGS Chilly temperatures on a recent Saturday did not deter Brookings-area individuals from gathering as part of a national day of peaceful protesting across America against the current U.S. administration.
A nationwide movement called Hands Off was organized by Indivisible, and according to national news sources, drew over one million people in 1,200 cities across America. Indivisible is a national organization formed in 2016. According to their website, indivisible.org, they are a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.
The Brookings event, organized by Brookings Area Indivisible, was attended by 325 individuals.
The rally began on the Brookings County Courthouse lawn and included a nine-block march. Four local individuals also spoke on topics that meant a lot to them personally and professionally. The speakers and the topics that they voiced concern over included:
- Teresa Binkley; Longtime public-school advocate Education in South Dakota.
- Roberta Olson; retired dean, SDSU College of Nursing Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare.
- Pastor Mark Johnsen; Brookings United Church of Christ Ukraine/Gaza.
- Julie Ross; local conversational English teacher Immigration.
The Brookings Police Department monitored the safety of rally participants and marchers.
Lily Koech of Brookings attended the rally and said she was happy with the turnout. I was truly impressed with the number of like-minded individuals who showed up in support of not only the people who were there, but the people who couldnt go for whatever reason, she said.
The immigration speaker spoke to me in a way that truly rattled me to the core, said Koech.
Im a first-generation U.S. citizen on my dads side, and so many of those near and dear to my heart are immigrants, she said.
They all deserve to be here, said Koech.
Brookings Area Indivisible is a non-partisan group of volunteers dedicated to preserving democracy, promoting education, respect, decency, science and truth.
We are dedicated to increasing civic engagement and education on progressive policies at the city, state and national level, said Brenda Andersen, a co-founder of the local Indivisible chapter.
Brookings Indivisible organizers have a long list of items they would like to accomplish.
Some of them include organizing informative events to spotlight issues and candidates who support the values of fairness, ethical decision-making, and respect for all humanity.
If you are a Brookings-area citizen who would like to hold our local, state and national officials accountable and seek answers to your concerns, you can reach Brookings Area Invisible at linktr.ee/Brookings_Area_Indivisible.
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