When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, King Haakon VII and the royal family fled to London. The King’s radio broadcasts from the government in exile became a lifeline of hope for millions of Norwegians suffering under the Nazi occupation. 

In Norway, wearing the nisselue, a traditional pointed red knitted hat, often with a tassel, became a deliberate act of silent resistance. Adults and children walked the streets in their red caps announcing that they stood with free Norway, not with the Nazi collaborators known as quislings.  In 1942, the Nazis declared wearing “red top hats” a criminal offence.

Faced with the aggressive ICE raids in Minneapolis in mid-January, andinspired by the Norwegian nisselue, Gilah Mashaal, the owner of the yarn shop Needle & Skein, organized the craft community to have knitters create a red winter hat with a tassel. The Meltthe ICE hat is a visible demonstration of opposition to ICE’s illegal and unconstitutional violence. The proceeds from the sale of the $5 pattern have raisednearly $1 millionfor two immigrant aid groups in Minneapolis. 

Lincoln County Indivisible’s own Red Hat Brigade stood out on the Newcastle/Damariscotta bridge on Saturday, challenging President Trump’s unilateral war on Iran and the continuing refusal of the administration and its supporters in Congress to rein in ICE.More generally, the red hats symbolize resistance to the national slide towards unconstrained authoritarian rule.  

The knitters are hard at work. A group meets Saturdays, 11 a.m., at Pine Tree Yarns in Damariscotta prior to the regular noon bridge rally. If anyone would like to join, stop by the shop or contact Elaine Eskesen: elaine@tidewater.net. 

We expect to see a much larger contingent of the Red Hat Brigade at the nationalNo Kings rally on March 28. This will take place locally on the Wiscasset bridge from 10 to 11 a.m. and on the Newcastle/Damariscotta bridge from noon to 1 p.m. 

For more information contact info@LCIMaine.org or call Jackie Nowell: (202) 550-3162.