Geneva resident Ellen Ljung said that Labor Day on Monday provided the perfect backdrop for a rally in St. Charles aimed at protesting the policies of the Trump administration.
“This is our 12th rally this year, and we’ve also done some educational forums and meetings,” said Ljung, a member of the steering committee of the Fox Valley-based We Can Lead Change group before the 90-minute rally Monday. “We picked Labor Day because … it’s a National Day of Protest.”
A press release from the We Can Lead Change group said “this Labor Day we will continue to stand strong, fighting for public schools over private profits, health care over hedge funds, shared prosperity over corporate politics. We do not forget that working people built this nation and we know how to take care of each other.”
Ljung said having the rally Monday was all about “having it on the same day as multiple rallies around the nation.”
“We think that it’s a more effective statement. Also, this rally is very specifically workers over billionaires,” she said. “The current administration is serving the rich and not with working people and we wanted to focus on that also and bring attention to that.”
Those attending were also asked to bring food and other donations that would be given to local crisis centers.
The rally was held at the intersection of East Main Street and Fieldgate Drive in St. Charles. Like previous rallies, Monday’s gathering brought many to the site early with posters and placards who lined East Main Street.
Carrie Lundeen of St. Charles arrived early for the event.
“I feel having these rallies across the country makes an impact. I hope so, because that’s why we’re here,” Lundeen said. “The weather is nice, and it’s a good day to be out here. Having gone to these before, it makes me feel like I’m normal instead of all the craziness going on. There are other people who do think the way I do.”
JoAnn Vanthournout of St. Charles said that she was willing to give up staying home on the holiday “because I just hate what’s going on in our country.”
“It’s just wrong and the only thing I can do is voice my disgust with what’s going on,” Vanthournout said. “I’m on the other side of 70 years old and I never thought I’d be out at a thing like this, but too many buttons have been pushed.”
Brenden Heuertz of Oswego said rallies like the one Monday are important.
“Something has got to be done,” he said as he held up a sign along East Main Street. “I’m bothered by the news media and people that Trump chose are unqualified as well as the Republican senators who have lost their way. I know there are rallies going on all over the country and I believe that, collectively, this makes a difference.”
Rob Eisenreich of North Aurora said this was his first rally and, like Vanthournout, said he had sort of surprised himself by attending the one Monday.
“I’m not generally political. It’s just something that, after the last four years when the current president was out of office, I thought we wouldn’t return to this,” he said. “I think the population, including me, is a little bit scared about the direction things are going and that’s what basically brought us out today.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.