Indivisible Weston holds protests for democracy

Around 10 Weston residents gathered at the flower pot at the edge of the Town Green on Saturday, Oct. 11, holding signs protesting the administration of President Donald Trump and advocating for democracy.

These protesters are members of Indivisible Weston, a local branch of the national organization Indivisible, which has organized recent No Kings protests opposing the actions of the administration.

Member Katherine Fast said she felt it was important to make noise about the things that concern her.

“I think it’s fantastic that people in Weston will stand up for what they believe,” she said. “I really believe we need to do something for our dear country.”

Shirley Small-Rougeau held a sign stating people will not forget Congress members who are quiet during this time. She said she came out for her children and grandchildren.

“I was born Black, I’m a woman and I’m old. All of this impacts me and my children and my grandchildren,” she said. “We have to fight for what we are entitled to.”

The Weston branch of Indivisible was organized this summer by residents, including Jonathan Harris and Kim Bergner. They, alongside other Weston residents, attended a No Kings protest in Waltham this summer and decided that Weston should have a group of its own.

“What we’re seeing is there’s an incredible amount of anxiety in Weston. Action is an antidote for anxiety,” Harris said. “It is important for the cause and also important for individuals.”

Several people honked in support as they passed by the demonstration. Others voiced opposition, including one driver who shouted “Trump,” as they drove by. Another driver, Kenny Young, pulled his car over to praise Trump and billionaire businessman Elon Musk, former leader of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, and invited the group to dance like the president with him.

“I saw the signs and gave a little counter and I had some fun. Hate the sin but not the sinner,” he told the Observer. “I’m independent. I like to listen to every point of view.”

In addition to the flower pot demonstrations every other week, Indivisible Weston is holding a speaker series that will discuss topics dominating national headlines. The first is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30, and will focus on legal and constitutional questions raised by the current administration.

Bergner said it was important for the group to provide both calls to action and education.

“One of the jobs of the organization is to be a repository and give people information of all the ways we can think of that people can get involved, whether that’s making phone calls or going to rallies or going to speaker events to get more knowledge,” she said.

Vincent Rougeau, a legal expert and president of the College of the Holy Cross, and Kent Greenfield, the Dr. Thomas F. Carney Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School, will discuss legal issues. Rougeau, son of demonstrator Shirley Small-Rougeau and a Weston resident, is the former dean of Boston College Law School and served as the director of the Boston College Forum on Racial Justice in America. He said the forum will be a chance for town residents across different groups to come together and learn about the legal system.

“Democracy depends on an informed citizenry. We, as citizens, have an obligation to be aware and be well-informed and to use our judgments, our informed judgments, as part of the process of making good political decisions,” Rougeau said. “I’m looking forward to being with my neighbors to talk about issues that should be important to all of us.”