On Saturday, Jan. 31, around 150 Lincoln County Indivisible (LCI) supporters gathered in the Second Congregational Church, Newcastle. Those present heard a brief summary of the past year’s activities, followed by a reading of the LCI Mission Statement, Goals, and Values, before launching into a discussion on how to respond to ICE activities in Maine and elsewhere. The meeting broke up into town-based groups to provide an opportunity for all to contribute to the discussion. We heard a report back from each group. This was followed by a discussion of whether Lincoln County Indivisible should endorse candidates who align with its values prior to the June primary elections. Participants filled out cards with their vote before adjourning to the Newcastle/Damariscotta bridge for a rally at which the numbers swelled to over 200, lining both sides of the bridge from one end to the other. Numerous homemade signs protested the ICE killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

These killings and other widely publicized acts of ICE violence crystalized for rally participants the belief that ICE is operating as a paramilitary force under the direct control of the Presidency and outside of normal legal restraints, with little or no accountability. Those at the rally were both expressing their profound sympathy with the families of the deceased along with their understanding that it could have been any one of us participating in these anti-ICE rallies. As at previous rallies, there was widespread anger at the open contempt of the Trump administration for constitutional rights that have been an essential thread in the fabric of American democracy since the Declaration of Independence.

For more information contact info@LCIMaine.org or call Pam Wylie at (508) 962-1986