A group of Delawareans gathered at Dover’s Legislative Hall to speak out against the Trump administration and its policies.
It was one of protests nationwide connected to the 50501 Movement, which means “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.” Indivisible Southern Delaware organized the event in Dover.
The protest occurred on President’s Day, with some attendees referring to the event as a “Not My President’s Day protest.”
One of Indivisible Southern Delaware’s group’s leaders, Cheryl Siskin, showed up with a sign reading “No oligarchs, no kings.”
“The administration has basically tossed aside the Constitution, and we believe in separation of powers, democracy, the people's will. He thinks he has a mandate. He doesn't have a mandate. And we need to show him how many people are opposed to what he's doing,” Siskin said.
Ryan Matthews, an associate principal at a special needs school, attended the protest, carrying signs with his wife and two children.
He says he was there to express his concerns that the president is overstepping his authority among the three branches of government.
“He's given over the government, the reins of the government, to an unelected private citizen who's a billionaire, and billionaires don't have the best interests of the people in mind,” Matthews said. “He's treating himself like a king, and no president is a king.”
Alex Houghtaling also attended the protest with family.
“I'm here today because I can't yet vote, but I still think it's unfair that these policies will affect me and my peers and my school,” Houghtaling said. “And shutting down the Department of Education or even defunding should not be even a question at this point, considering our test scores are still falling. And I don't understand how budget cuts are going to help that.”
Their sign said “Hate never made any nation great.”
“Some of the greatest nations in the world – such as Norway, who are some of the top on the Happiness Index – are known for having very open policies around gay marriage and trans rights and have a great education system, but hate never built all that,” Houghtaling said.
Matthews, who lives in Smyrna, said he wants Delaware’s legislators and federal representatives to know where Delawareans stand.
“So that they're advocating for us as much as they can in Washington DC,” Matthews explained. “But also, Delaware is a state that, for the most part, would probably back up our beliefs, but we need to make sure that Delaware is still part of the nation's voice.”
A similar event in Wilmington drew dozens of protestors to Rodney Square.
Indivisible Southern Delaware is planning more protests throughout the state in the next month.
