Great Barrington — Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, January 20, having previously served as the 45th president from January 2017 to January 2021.
Trump’s first term as president, along with his conduct outside of office, has been the subject of countless controversies.
On Saturday, January 18, two days before President Trump’s second inauguration, people from across the country participated in the “People’s March.” According to the march’s website, the national event was organized by a coalition of organizations, including Abortion Action Now, Time to Act, SisterSong, Women’s March, Popular Democracy In Action, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, The Feminist Front, NOW, Planned Parenthood, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Sierra Club, and the Frontline.
According to the event’s FAQ page, the goal of the march was to create a new social movement that “…can rise to confront Trumpism, drawing on past successes and effective strategies against autocrats.” The site states, “We are mobilizing to take advantage of a large trigger event to build a vehicle to accelerate the onboarding, political education, organizing, and mobilizing work capacity by helping to build relationships and numbers of people in movements.”
The event was a nationwide phenomenon, with marches in Washington, D.C.; Pittsfield; and towns and cities throughout the country.
In the late afternoon of January 18, more than 20 residents attended the “People’s March” event in front of Town Hall in Great Barrington.
The Great Barrington event was organized by resident Roselle Chartock, who held a sign that on one side read, “Preserve Democracy Honesty and Dignity!” On the other side of her sign were quotes from the October 2016 “Access Hollywood Tape” leaked to the media before the 2016 presidential election.
“Originally, I posted this event on my personal Facebook page, but then somebody said I should post it on the Great Barrington Community Board Facebook page,” Chartock told The Berkshire Edge. “I posted details about the event, and I didn’t post it anonymously. When I posted information about the event, people left comments towards me that were horrifying and very threatening. One person called me a ‘Commie’; another said that ‘You’re killing our babies’; and another person wrote, ‘Trump is the best president we ever had.’”
Chartock said that she continued to receive threats and eventually took down her post about the event. “We’re having this because, around the country and the world, we are all concerned about the next four years,” Chartock said. “The writing on the wall [about Trump], but I hope the writing is wrong—he plans to take away the rights of the people, and I’m not sure why. What I see happening is that democracy, honesty, and dignity are being subjugated to a bunch of billionaires. I love this country, and I love our democracy. But this is frightening as hell.”
“I am very concerned about this country,” said Egremont resident Chris Baral. “I’m very concerned for women, immigrants, and people in general, other than billionaires who are all going to get anything they want right now.”
Baral expressed her concern about the threat Trump’s second presidency will pose to women’s rights. “Women already lost over 50 years of rights in one day thanks to the Dobbs ruling,” Baral said. “It’s incredibly concerning that women in many states, now that Trump is coming to power again, are going to lose their healthcare rights and their reproductive rights at the hands of bureaucrats. Many have already died [due to lack of healthcare], and it’s horrendous because it’s putting women back in the dark ages. Also, immigrants built this world and this country. Unless you are a native [American], you are the child of immigrants, and no person is illegal.”
“We’re all in this together as a country,” Baral added. “People like to look down on immigrants, people like to look down on women. We need to stop looking down. We have to start looking up.”
“Today it is important to stand up on the street, wherever you are, and stand in support of good-hearted people who care about this country and are scared about what’s coming,” said Great Barrington resident Jeanne Bassis. “I have many concerns, including concerns for seniors such as myself. I’m concerned about all kinds of services that help people with special needs and disabilities. I think there is a lot to be scared of.”
Bassis held a sign during the protest that read, “Shine Your Light.” “A dear friend of mine, Dan Bern, has a song called ‘Shining,’” Bassis said. “The lyrics in the chorus are ‘When the darkness comes and it seems like an endless night, that’s the time to shine, keep shining your light.’ There’s darkness out there, but we are all creative people who can make the world a better place.”
