Great Barrington — Tuesday, January 20, marked one year since President Donald J. Trump was sworn into office for the second time.
Over the course of the year, President Trump has, among many things:
- Expanded the powers of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to frequent apprehensions by ICE agents using force, including in Great Barrington on May 6, May 28, and May 30. On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Good, prompting a protest at Great Barrington Town Hall on January 10.
- Threatened to seize semi-autonomous Danish territory Greenland. Multiple news outlets have linked Trump’s interest in taking over the territory to the fact that he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Changed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and benefits through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4. His administration also withheld SNAP funding to states during a government shutdown and subsequently threatened to sue states, including Massachusetts, who issued SNAP benefits to residents.
On January 20, in front of Great Barrington Town Hall, residents from all around Berkshire County gathered to protest the Trump administration.
Despite temperatures in the teens, over 250 people showed up to make their voices heard at the Free America Walkout, co-organized by South County Resistance and the Women’s March.
“This is a corrupt administration that is grifting the people’s money and is trying to satisfy the mind of a demented, narcissistic bully who only cares about himself and is doing nothing on behalf of the American people,” Jeff Schneider from the group South County Resistance told The Berkshire Edge. “We need the politicians to finally wake up to fulfill the will of the American people, because the American people do not want war with Greenland. The American people did not want to take over Venezuela. The American people want to be able to put food on their table, heat their homes in the winter, and to have healthcare that is affordable. The business leaders, the media, and corporate America have let us down. The only thing that can save America now is we the people.”
Among the first protesters to arrive at the event were Ricky Bernstein from Sheffield and Eve Kummel from Otis.
“We have to stand in solidarity against this corrupt administration,” Bernstein said. “It’s getting crazier and crazier. Trump is certifiably crazy at this point. We all need to stand together, and the Republicans need to find a backbone.”
“I’m here today because I couldn’t just sit at home,” Kummel told The Edge. “This man is out of his f-cking mind, and I knew that years ago when I worked at The New York Times. I’ve met him, and he is so narcissistic and self-centered. We have to stand and fight and use whatever resources we have—whether it’s money, protests, or petitions—to change things.”
