![](https://refusefascism.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/DFm3TenXgAUlQWI-300x225.jpg)
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at a Trump rally in a small city in Ohio six months into his illegitimate presidency. Before carpooling from New York City we knew that Youngstown has one of the largest detention centers in the United States (it recently was approved to hold up to 2000 people), also a small state university, and the remnants of a declining steel industry.
We were determined to make a presence. To let Trump, his white supremacist supporters, the country, and the world know that we will not stand by, we will not comply, and we will not allow this regime and their followers to consolidate fascism in the United States.
We joined in with the Ohio chapter of Refuse Fascism as well as some people who made their way into town when they found out that Trump was speaking nearby. We held up the J’accuse displays and NO signs, and agitated and chanted around different issues: “No ban, no wall, the Trump regime has got to fall!” “No pussy grabbing, no patriarchy, no fascist USA” “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!”
Resistance was everywhere. Some people went inside where the rally was being held and disrupted the event with TRUMP AND PENCE MUST GO banners. One of them spoke to the crowd later, describing some of the things she had heard and ending with the chant “HUMANITY FIRST NOT AMERICA FIRST, HUMANITY FIRST NOT AMERICA FIRST” which people fervently took up. People really took heart in our active role in the protest: this was the case both for the Ohio chapter of Refuse Fascism and for the many people who joined on the spot.
It was so important for us to be there–for people to come from New York, from Cleveland, Columbus, and locally from Youngstown as well as bordering PA counties. Many people were first time protesters, who feel so strongly about what is happening in this country that they need to express their dissent. Others were curious about the situation or what a Trump rally would look like and came to our lines when they saw us there.
One man drove all the way from Alabama, saying that Trump hates everyone–he hates Muslims, he hates Black people, he hates immigrants… And that’s what America’s about so he must hate America. One woman was saying “I’m gay and I’m here to stay” and there was another man who went to the protest on his break from work and was going to come back on his next break. One man said that earlier in the day someone had called him a n*****, and that Trump supports that, so he had to speak out. People would take up agitation and spoke on the bullhorn as to why they were there. Not only did it feel good, but we needed to contest and challenge Trump and his followers, and show others that this is what we’re doing and that looking down and making the most of the next two to four years is not the solution.
There was also a rally a few blocks away that Democrats had called for, where people were gathering primarily to show their support for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which was contested in the Senate earlier in the day. A couple of Refuse Fascism volunteers went to talk to the crowd there and many joined us outside Covelli Center just as police pushed our entire group farther back from where we were.
Before this, we had taken the displays and crossed the street that would take us that much closer to Covelli Center. The police became very aggressive and told us to get back to the other side of the sidewalk, physically pushing some of the protesters to the other side. Shortly thereafter they pushed against our lines and told us that we could not be on a public sidewalk, that we had to move several feet back behind a fence, behind the tents of Trump merchandise (including a poster with Hillary Clinton’s face as a Bullseye). It was at this moment of tension with the police that people from the other rally joined us, bringing a breath of fresh air, and more people joining in the spirit that Trump and Pence must GO–now maybe a total of 150 people gathered.
Throughout the protest many Trump supporters yelled insults and some obscenity in our direction, although we did debate with some Trump supporters. One of them yelled anti-abortion (anti-woman) vitriol in our direction and an organizer did some agitation, starting the chant “when abortion is illegal WOMEN DIE when clinics close WOMEN DIE”. Other Trump supporters were convinced that Trump was in fact bringing jobs back, but that was all that they could say, clearly parroting back his campaign slogans and blindly following the lies this regime has been pushing on the population since taking office. We told them that they have been fooled, that if they know that women are full human beings they need to be on our side, that if they understand that immigrants are not criminals they are on the wrong side supporting the wrong people, that if they are not racist white supremacists they needed to stand against Trump and Pence.
People were mobilized to become organizers in the movement to drive out the Trump/Pence Regime on the spot. Many people got on the bullhorn to voice their outrage, signed up, got stacks of flyers and stickers (including to get out to their church group), distributed flyers and posters on the spot, and left promising to join the Cleveland chapter or start their own. Two different local organizations including an environmental group asked us to come speak to their group about Refuse Fascism. It was clear that Refuse Fascism is serious about waging a real struggle to drive this despised regime from power. Folks from the local chapter shared how much it meant that we were there; declaring to those there and all those watching that there is a force refusing to let this become normalized, that was there for the people of this country, yes, but humanity as whole, providing moral clarity for many people who had known about us before. So many took heart in the fact that there IS an organization that is mobilizing around this issue, that has a defined message, a call to action, a structure. People who held our signs felt like they were on the right side of history.
Trump rally from protester perspective “Humanity First, Not America First.” SHOUT OUT 2 @juntounsilenced & @_kelly_janice 4 their courage! pic.twitter.com/sPYiZoQXWU
— #TrumpPenceMustGo (@RefuseFascism) July 26, 2017
Humanity First, not America First!
The disruption inside the rally inside was courageous, heroic, and necessary to both inspire people and set an example to what needs to be done to stop this regime. The fact that we were outside allowed for people to not only come out and be present but to get organized. We went into the eye of a fascist storm and did not waver, we resisted despite it, with local people taking up the message of NO, THE TRUMP AND PENCE REGIME MUST GO and outsiders driving from as close as Cleveland and as far away as New York to show support and organize. In increasing numbers every time Trump or any representative of this fascist regime speaks they must be met with determined resistance and the demand that they must go. Next we are heading to Long Island on Friday where Trump will be further vilifying our immigrant brothers sisters. If you are in a 50 mile radius you should join us, if not donate to help deliver the message that we refuse to accept their cruel and brutal future and that the Trump/Pence regime must go.