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In Downtown Longmont, Civic Activism Alive and Well

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon in downtown Longmont, and like every Saturday for the last three years there is a group of dedicated protesters at 6th and Main.

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon in downtown Longmont, and like every Saturday for the last three years there is a group of dedicated protesters at 6th and Main. Through rain, sleet, snow, and sun these protesters meet, talk politics, hold signs, and even bring cookies. Though they are not all on the same page ideologically, a dedication to activism brings these diverse groups together to get their messages out to the public. I spoke with several members to understand what drives them to show up every weekend, and what change they hope to see in our community and our country.

Kathy Partridge is one of the original members of the group of progressives and democrats that meet every weekend on the West side of 6th and Main. A longtime Longmont resident, Partridge is used to demonstrating, spending several years protesting the United States' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After a while, these demonstrations stopped, but after the election of Donald Trump and the Women's March, Partridge and some other residents decided they needed to get back out to the streets and make their voices heard. When asked why she began protesting, Partridge said "We began protesting because we couldn't just stand by and watch the egregious actions, policies, executive orders, and behaviors of this administration". The group has spoken out against racism in Longmont, as well as supporting LGBTQ+ rights, gun control legislation, and health care reform.

Most of the group was driven to demonstrate by the election of Donald Trump, but they aren't all in agreement on issues of policy or the current democratic presidential candidates. When asked if a demonstration like this is helpful for community building within the context of a fractious democratic party, group member Lynette McClane said, "There are people here that vote on all [sides of the issue], there are people here that are independent, that are not registered, that are voting for one candidate or another, so we're coming together". Most began demonstrating after the election, and the group celebrated their 3rd anniversary on February 2nd with chocolate chip cookies.

Photo by Ian Peck

When asked what change they hoped to see from their efforts, most in the group said they simply wanted to make their voices heard and bring awareness to the issues they cared about the most. McClane said, "I feel good when I'm here", a sentiment echoed by the other protesters. Partridge responded by saying she hopes to "activate people and to ensure that people don't feel hopeless in times like this". When confronted with a situation that they cannot abide by, the protesters feel hope and strength in making their voices heard.

Across the street, a group of counter-protesters was making their voices and their hopes known as well. Several were armed in support of their 2nd amendment rights, and a protester named Nick said "the only thing we have is our liberties, and we need to protect [against] any infringement of any of our liberties". The counter-protesters also brought an array of views to the table, with several insisting they were not Trump supporters, but were not in favor of what they view to be radical policies coming from the progressive and Democratic wings of the government. All of the counter-protesters I spoke to professed strong beliefs in individual liberties and were against government intrusion against constitutional rights. Group member Michael Stapleton said "[In American politics] we've definitely become divided and polarized, instead of finding a way to be able to communicate with each other, we would rather just find a way to say 'I'm right, you're wrong, and that's the only thing that matters".

Speaking about the more liberal protesters on the other side of the street, Stapleton said "I could go over there and talk to people and find common principles, [but] we may disagree on the solution. They want a more government [oriented] solution, I want a more individualistic, free-market solution". Getting an opposing viewpoint heard was important to the counter-protesters, and they wanted to show that there isn't just one political voice in Longmont.

Photo by Ian Peck

On different sides of the aisle, and different sides of Main Street Longmont, civic activism still has a place in American politics. Exercising the right to gather and make yourself and your ideas heard is part of the spirit of the American political system, and in Longmont that spirit is alive and well.