(Editor’s note: If any readers know of a local pro-Trump group or rally, contact the Newsleaders, and we will do a story about that group as well.)
by Dennis Dalman
About two months ago, Sauk Rapids resident Jill Kelly would sit in her living room with the TV on, holding her breath for fear of the next eruption of upsetting news from the Donald Trump presidency.
First there was the flurry of presidential executive orders.
Next there was the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, decreeing mass layoffs and firings of federal workers.
And all the while there was a steady stream of talk about tariffs, tariffs and more tariffs.
To Kelly, it was exhausting, overwhelming and deeply disturbing.
Kelly is an activities assistant at the memory-care facility of Woodcrest Country Manor in St. Joseph. On March 18, she shared her thoughts and feelings with the Newsleaders.
“I felt so anxious, fearful and alone,” she said. “I kept hearing misinformation, lies, incorrect information. It’s as if I didn’t have a community to belong to, and community means so much to me. I felt the need to quell my fears and anxieties by sharing them with others.”
So one day, quite suddenly, she said she decided to reach out to others by posting a Facebook notice requesting anyone in the “cyberworld” as terrified as she was by the Trump Administration’s actions should get together to share ideas and feelings. She also posted a flyer about a meeting at the St. Cloud Great River Regional Library.
She dubbed the group “Americans for Democracy.”
She expected a dozen or so people might show up. Forty-four people attended that meeting. At a second meeting, more than 80 people participated.
Then Kelly organized a protest rally on East Division Street for March 8 in front of Harbor Freight, and more than 300 people marched at the protest. Some carried signs stating “Impeach Trump” and “Deport Musk” and “Replace (Tom) Emmer,” the Republican U.S. representative of Minnesota’s Sixth District. Since then, the protests have continued weekly, the latest one taking place on March 29.
“Most of the comments we heard were more positive than negative,” Kelly said. “It was good to see that support.”
Many passing motorists honked, smiled and waved; other motorists yelled they love Donald Trump, and quite a few raised their middle fingers and shouted insults and some obscenities at the rally marchers.
A week later, the rally-goers braved a wet, windy, cold day for another protest at the same locale. Kelly plans to schedule the rallies every Saturday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the same place on West Division Street.
“They’re an incredible group of people,” Kelly said. “There were mothers, fathers, children, veterans, farmers, disabled people, members of the LGBTQ community, older people, people of color. And there were even some Republicans.”
The participants, Kelly said, are all part of a diverse, inclusive community. They are very worried about what’s happening at the White House, but they remain upbeat, connected and positive, she noted.
“One thing we all have in common is a love of our country and a desire to uphold our Constitution to support and include everyone in our country,” she said.
At the meetings and protests, Kelly said people expressed anger, worries and fears about President Trump’s autocratic and erratic behaviors; Musk’s attempts to weaken and/or destroy American agencies and departments; the many people now unemployed after being axed by Trump, Musk and their helpers; and Trump’s dismissive attitudes to the Constitution, the Rule of Law and judges.
“What a mess we are in,” she said. “My biggest fear is Trump is seeking ways to detain Americans he sees as ‘enemies’ or ‘undesirables,’ the same way he is detaining and getting rid of immigrants. Trump should not be in office, and Musk should not even be near the government. They are both lawless, and so many people are hurting because of them.”
Kelly said she hopes “Americans for Democracy” continues to grow ever larger in Minnesota and in other states. She predicts a time when so many groups will join other protest groups.
“We are not alone,” Kelly said. “We are committed to the cause as long as we have to be. I think millions of Americans will push back on the lawlessness happening. It will take energy; it will take guts. Our group strongly believes in three things: Resist, Inform, Support.”
Kelly emphasized all people are welcome to attend the protests or the library meetings.
The upcoming April protest rallies are:
Saturday, April 5 from noon-2 p.m. Near the St. Cloud Library along Division Street.
Saturday, April 12: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. By Harbor Freight.
Saturday, April 26: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. By Harbor Freight.
The ongoing meetings at the library are as follows:
Monday, April 7: 6-8 p.m. Game Night at library.
Thursday, April 17: 6-8 p.m. Meeting at the library.
Monday, April 21: 2:30-4:45 p.m. Meeting at the library.
Monday, April 28: 6-8 p.m. Meeting at the library.
In the meantime, Kelly is seeking a larger venue to accommodate more and more participants.
Those who attend April library meetings or the protests are encouraged to bring a food item or two to share with local food shelves.
To learn more about Americans for Democracy, go to the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1HtNvRsFC3/
The group’s email address is afdstcloudGgmail.com
People from a wide area, locally and as far away as Duluth and Minneapolis, have been attending “Americans for Democracy” rallies and meetings to give pushback against a multitude of Trump Administration policies. This is one of many rallies that took place along St. Cloud’s East Division Street.
In the cold windy air, this woman expressed her feelings about Ukraine during one of the protest rallies held in St. Cloud by a group called “Americans for Democracy.”
Jill Kelly
