By TABITHA MAE
On the morning of May 20, approximately 200 residents of New London, Conn., and surrounding areas met on the grass of McKinley Park, just outside of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (U.S.G.C.). Most were seen carrying various signs in protest of the arrival of President Donald Trump, who was scheduled as the commencement speaker for the U.S.C.G. graduation.
Though there were 10-15 members of the crowd who were touting their MAGA hats and garb, these counter-protesters were largely drowned out by chants about removing Trump from office, about democracy, and about freedom for Palestine. Also in attendance were a number of Secret Service agents and a heavy police presence from surrounding departments. While the police remained largely in the role of observers, Secret Service agents were questioning any member of the crowd who held a sign or displayed on their clothing the phrase “8647,” a reference to Trump’s removal from office that is often distorted to be seen as a call to violence.
This gathering at McKinley Park on the day of the U.S.C.G. commencement was nothing new to New London. For over 25 years, protests against the U.S. war industry and military complex have gathered here to demonstrate, often with specific calls to action depending on the invited commencement speaker. While Trump can be viewed as part of the most recent iteration of a trend of world capitalist leaders who put forth authoritarian policies, he is far from the first U.S. president to be bestowed such a description. Many Americans are still not tuned in or are just newly learning the structural issues that necessitate leaders like Trump, and supporters of them, to be bred and leached into American politics.
This demonstration, too, was the most recent iteration of a longstanding day of protest. Historically, many of the protesters have been veterans who had grown to be staunchly antiwar.
But, things were different this year. The agenda of this administration and their bulldozing of safeguards on the way to achieving it have made it hard for people to ignore the speed at which human and Constitutional rights are being attacked and trampled. Because of this, there was a shared urgency across networks in Connecticut and Rhode Island to form a coalition. Titled “Unify & Resist”, the grassroots coalition was formed by 14 separate groups, ranging in size and ideology. Groups present in the network included 50501, New London Civil Liberties Defense, New London Immigrant Defense, ‘Lil Rhody Visibility Brigade, and the Working Families Party (NL).
Despite minute differences in hopes for the day, delegates from these groups worked to create messaging that would be effective. In this core group, a decision was made to be positioned principally on a congratulatory attitude towards the cadets graduating from the U.S.C.G. Academy, while pushing an emphasis on Constitutional protection, sharing the message to “Remember your oath.” Zines were created and distributed to cadets and cadet families, an action that met with a positive response from recipients. Inside, readers could find support services for military members who felt they had received unlawful orders or have ethical dilemmas with orders given. Article 92 and the U.S. v. Calley case (regarding the May Lai massacre by U.S. soldiers in Vietnam) were featured—marking the regulation and historical precedent for the execution of unlawful orders.
Next steps emphasized by the zine included joining the efforts to de-ICE Citizens Bank, which has provided over $2.5 billion for the construction of detention camps and the financing of for-profit prison corporations, and suggesting that readers support groups like Veterans for Peace.
Points highlighted by many were the current endeavors of the U.S. military in Palestine, Iran, Latin America, and globally, and the pursuit of an agenda to trample rights domestically. The U.S.C.G. has been called into action off the coast of Venezuela through Operation Southern Spear, an operation responsible for the deaths of around 340 people, including fishermen. They were killed in what the Trump regime cites as an attack on sea-based drug trafficking and to promote the restoration of security in the Western Hemisphere, but sentiment is growing amongst the public that the attacks were imperialist in nature. While representatives like Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes have spoken out against Operation Southern Spear, fundamentally no one in Congress poses a real opposition to Trump’s foreign policy. Through this operation, the Coast Guard has also helped surveil and seize two oil tankers.
The crowds gathered in New London were well aware of Trump’s use of armed forces to further his agenda, his illegal reallocation of funding to satisfy political goals, and his subversion of the separation of powers—a return to gunboat diplomacy, as outlined in Trump’s national security strategy.
At the protest were calls to support the LGBTQ+ community, with a primary emphasis on the protection of transgender Americans, who have been targets of a slew of rampant policy changes putting them in direct danger. A strong anti-ICE sentiment was present, too, which came at no surprise considering the prevalence of immigrant members in the New London community. There were a number of signs, flags, and tee-shirts stressing Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein and repeated denial of the glaringly evident, longstanding, and intimate ties. Of course, the recognition of the harms of capitalism and the exploitation of the working class were steady themes, with a number of people holding “Tax the rich” signs.
The participant turnout for the May 20 demonstration was less than anticipated by organizers, and certainly less than hoped for, likely because of a combination of factors, including the timing of an early weekday event, the guidelines set by the Secret Service that limited movement in and around New London, and the short timeline from the announcement of Trump’s arrival to the time of the action. On that same note, though, despite any anticipations, it can be seen as a success for this region that the park was still filled with a crowd, even with the aforementioned obstacles.
The event garnered significant local media coverage, with reporters beginning to issue preliminary coverage and interviews on the day before. Teams from local chapters of NBC, WFSB, and Fox were amongst the crowd of reporters, and articles were issued by a New London newsroom, The Day, and in the Hartford Courant. This coverage, though, was limited to short sound bites or a few quoted sentences that, while accurate to the messaging of the demonstration, did not nearly capture the range of dissatisfaction and anger that was visible—and audible—that day. Luckily, from news stations and individuals alike, videos and photographs are circulating, showing the energy of the day and the array of messaging present.
A further facet of success for the demonstration on May 20 is a shared remembrance, for many organizers and participants alike, of the importance of coalition building to support the common goal of reinvigorating the working class, empowering each other to use our collective power for protecting and promoting civil liberties, human rights, and quality of life.
A collaborative effort grew out of the need of local community members to make a stance against the Trump administration, the purposeful degradation of democracy, and for the dangers of capitalism and needlessness of foreign wars. To truly make an impactful mobilization of working-class Americans, we must be united in numbers and unified in voice.
While a couple of hundred people gathered in New London is a local success, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of widespread engagement necessary to catalyze true change. The protest at McKinley Park is a step in the right direction, and we must move forward with both vigilance and determination toward collective movement with actionable demands.