Peace rally attendees in Geneva Saturday prevail through rain

Ann Wilson de Genève wanted to help raise awareness of her community that she finds unacceptable in our country today and considered that going to a rally in the rain last Saturday was a way of doing so.

“I liked my fifth or sixth rally that I came now, and I think that makes a difference,” said Wilson when the rain fell strongly just before 11:30 am. “I have the impression that it draws attention to things and that people are ready to speak and maybe we can change certain minds.”

On Saturday in Geneva, brought together hundreds while the group of changes based in Fox Roots, based in Fox, can lead along South Randall Road and Gleneagle Drive in Geneva for a rally / protest called “Together for justice”.

The 90 -minute event represented the 10th detainee by the group, and they continued to draw thousands of them, the organizers said.

Ellen Ljung de Genève, one of the 10 members of the steering committee leading the organization, spoke an hour before the start of the rally, which was already threatening to be canceled due to the bad weather.

“It’s our 10th rally and people continue to ask them and therefore – we do it. We have raincoats, we did it [rallies] In a bitter cold, but people ask the opportunity to meet and we have people who have never been involved before, “said Ljung.” When we started, we had 300 people on April 5 and our No Kings event had nearly 10,000 people. I think that today will be little because of the weather and it is not a national thing, but we are talking about thousands of people who are involved. We are not smaller.

Ljung spoke of the impact of gatherings on representatives of the national government and said that, despite their locally base, “they have an effect.”

“We give people a way to connect and show them our initiatives and help people get involved,” she said. “I think that the feeling of pressure is felt by Washington because it is not only us – it is on a national scale. Many gatherings have been designed at the national level and I think the pressure is felt. I also think that it is absolutely essential that people have an outlet to work for change. ”

LJUNG noted that the group also offers educational programs and initiatives and “wrote representatives on the last budgetary bill”.

“We have written senators and the Supreme Court asking them to protect the regular procedure,” she said. “We have worked on immigrants and encountered libraries and school superintendents. Our goal is to bring people together to work for change. I am 78 years old now and I never thought that we would do this in the last chapter of our life, but the only way to change is the organization of the base. What we are doing here in Kane County is an appointment. ”

Despite an official hour of 11:30 am, the supporters were already present an hour earlier and attracted many horns and acclamations while motorists passed.

The rain and lightning forced an early cancellation just before noon but not before Wilson and other people present have their say.

“We had 10,000 people at the Kings rally that we had, then we did the bridge rally with 5,000 on the Geneva bridge,” said Wilson. “It’s a good way to build a community and maybe fighting.”

Pamela O ‘Brien de Batavia was seated under an umbrella and said that she was “at each rally since [President] Trump was elected.

“I was at many others-maybe eight or 10 and when I know something happens-I cancel everything I do because I think it’s the most important thing to do right now,” she said. “I am surprised when others do not do so.”

O’Brien said, thinking about the gatherings she attended: “I see a group of committed but peaceful people, very passionate about the maintenance of democracy.”

“It is a very diverse group of people as well as all kinds of problems-everything that is afraid of what the future will bring to someone from Mexico,” she said. “Depending on the community – compared to the end of the presidential election – there has been much more commitment. All this Randall route affects more people and they start to wake up. ”

Joann Vanthournout de St. Charles, 92, attended his first gathering and admitted: “I never thought that I would be a demonstrator at my age.”

“I never thought that someone we had as president would be elected. I remember that the demonstrations of Vietnam and it seems at least as if I try, “she said. “I was afraid at first but they said I could bring a chair. I would like to come back but I would prefer that he was not raining. ”

Denise Ward of Geneva said it was her sixth rally and was encouraged by participation despite the rain.

“These gatherings make a difference,” she insisted. “At least it shows that we are not going to sit here and let things happen.”