As early afternoon rolled around on Saturday, people crowded up against barriers along Massachusetts Ave. to secure spots for the 2 p.m. Patriots’ Day parade.
Some held their phones up to take pictures and videos of the festivities, while others held up signs that read “No king! No tyranny!” or “In America, the law is King!”.
The signs were a statement against Trump’s actions and in support of the freedoms Americans fought for in the Revolution, Toby Sackton, a Lexington resident and one of the organizers of Lexington Alarm, the group that organized the protest, told LexObserver.
Their intentions were not to interfere with Lex250 but to “emphasize the spirit of what we’re celebrating — these ideas of no tyranny, no king — the idea that in America, the people are sovereign and the rule of law is what we support,” Sackton said.
“People in the community are just going to bring [their signs] to wherever they are,” Sackton told LexObserver ahead of the Patriots’ Day celebrations. “Our hope is that visually, this will add to the flavor of the day.”
Against the backdrop of waving flags, “No Kings” posters, and “No Parking” signs, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey jogged up the parade route in his dress shirt and slacks, waving at the thousands of constituents cheering back at him.
Rachel Dratch, a former cast member on Saturday Night Live and Lexington native, sat atop a convertible, wearing the tricorn hat she received at the town’s annual Patriots’ Day Awards Ceremony on April 17.
The parade-walkers traveled through the Center to the music of the several fife and drum bands that also walked, keeping the sounds of American folk music alive from the top of the route to the end of the Battle Green.
Lexington’s Select Board walked up Mass. Ave together, clad in red and blue attire and festive tricorn hats. The residents who received awards on Thursday — Susan Rockwell, Fred Johnson, Isabella Barbesino, Siya Setty, and Catherine Taibi — also rode in the parade.
Members of the Chinese American Association of Lexington performed a dragon dance, and groups such as the Minutemen, the State Police, Lexington High School’s band, LexSeeHer, the Girl Scouts, the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington, and many more celebrated with floats, costumes, signs and music.
No matter where you watched the afternoon celebration from, you were certainly in eyeshot of a Lexington Alarm sign. Over 800 people signed up to rally with the group before the weekend festivities began, Sackton said. While there’s no official count, the demonstrators were a notable presence all along the parade route, and even in the parade itself.
Protestors told LexObserver they were rallying to protect human rights and the rule of law.
“I’m an old person and I never thought that I’d be protesting to maintain basic human rights, but that’s really it. If there’s no due process, our democracy is over,” a woman from Woburn who was protesting on the sidewalk along Mass. Ave. said. “Congress isn’t standing up to Trump, the Supreme Court [isn’t standing up to Trump]…I think we just have to show our strength as individuals.”
A woman who teaches fifth grade in Winchester protested in the free speech area next to Buckman Tavern during the rededication ceremony. She teaches her students about the American Revolution, the Constitution, and the importance of the balance of power.
“I feel those principles aren’t being upheld when it comes to due process,” she said. “Our current administration does not respect that balance.”
Sackton argued the freedoms Lexington’s militiamen fought for have “been thrown up in the air by Trump’s actions in his first 100 days.”
“It’s actually crazy what we’re seeing today and it’s such a mirror image of exactly the grievances and concerns that led to the American Revolution,” he said.
Many residents were worried there would be conflict at the events in the Center on April 19, especially if opposing protest groups rallied. A local Unitarian Universalist church even organized a de-escalation class in anticipation. But the events and the protestors who attended them remained safe and calm.
“Boston already trained for this [expletive]! Resist like Paul Revere!”, one protest sign read.
Thank you for this wonderful coverage of our protest.
I just looked at the Link to Lexington email and the Town’s FaceBook page. I did not see one picture of any protest signs. NONE! There were many, they had to work hard to avoid them.
The Town lost the meaning of Patriots Day – to fight for democracy, to defeat tyrants. Not to shown that what happened in 1775 is what many believe is needed now, is to make a farce out of the 250Celebration.
Thank you Lexington Observer for your balanced coverage.
As has now been shown, the “No Kings” protest was funded by the radical left wing group Indivisible.org.
Why is the Lexington Observer hiding this fact?
And why won’t they publish my comment wherein I expressed my disgust that these people had the audacity to mar our celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington with their zombie horde of sign-holders?
And now this same group is looking to spark violence across the nation with more of these ridiculous, ridiculous “protests”.
Ron Cecchini
Milton, MA
Hi Ron, the reason LexObserver didn’t publish your previous comments is that you didn’t include your last name as required by our comments policy. You are welcome to repost using your full name.