Demonstrators gather in downtown Bloomington for ‘No Kings: Vote Early’ rally

The air was a nippy 54 degrees Saturday afternoon (Oct. 17), but bright sunshine took the edge off as demonstrators gathered on the Monroe County courthouse lawn in downtown Bloomington for an anti-Trump “No Kings: Vote Early” rally.

Earlier in the day, Army Black Hawk helicopters had flown over Memorial Stadium for Indiana University’s noon football game against Ohio State. The courthouse rally featured a much more low-key kind of flyby, when went mostly unnoticed by the crowd. A red-tailed hawk swooped in and perched for a while atop the courthouse dome, before taking flight eastward towards the IU campus.

An hour into the demonstration, news of IU’s 19-15 loss to Ohio State filtered through the crowd, where it was met with much, but not universal, disappointment. The university’s leadership has itself been a target of criticism among local activists, particularly over free speech and the handling of campus protests.

Saturday’s nationwide demonstrations opposed President Donald Trump, with a focus on encouraging participation in the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Like other events nationwide, the Bloomington edition of the rallies focused on early voting, helping others get to the polls, and volunteering with organizations working on political and community issues. Tables around the courthouse set up by community groups offered information about voting and chances to get involved.

Among the speakers was Mark Fraley, a former Monroe County Democratic Party chair. He pointed to Indiana’s historically low voter turnout. Fraley urged people to encourage friends, neighbors and family members to vote, even in elections where some races are uncontested. “You don’t vote just because your vote matters. You vote because you matter,” Fraley said, describing voting as an expression of personal dignity.

Erin Aquino, Bloomington resettlement director for Exodus Refugee Immigration, criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. She described the fear experienced by immigrant families, including some who are reluctant to go to work or send their children to school. Aquino urged those eligible to vote to consider the interests of people who cannot cast ballots themselves. “Vote for people who cannot vote,” she told the crowd.

Bryce Greene, an organizer with Bloomington Homes for All, connected the national political message to local issues. “The fight against fascism starts at home,” Greene said. He criticized plans to demolish Seminary Pointe, a downtown block containing low-cost apartments and small businesses, in connection with the Bloomington convention center hotel project.

Greene also pointed to the local campaign against Flock surveillance cameras and the Bloomington city council’s recent vote to ban automated license plate readers as an example of what sustained organizing can accomplish. Greene’s message was that voting matters, but political participation cannot end at the ballot box. People need to join organizations and work collectively between elections, he said.

The Midwest Liberation Front, made up of Bill and Glenda Breeden, Mark Blackwell and Rob Mills, provided music on guitar, banjo and washtub bass. The group performed several protest-song standards, including Woody Guthrie’s “I Ain’t Got No Home” and John Prine’s “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.” Singing Resistance Bloomington led the crowd in call-and-response-style songs. 

Toward the end of the gathering, the crowd was invited to line up along the courthouse sidewalk with “Vote Early” signs for a photograph to be taken by a friendly drone.

Although early voting has started in Monroe County, the voting location at the Monroe County Government Center at 501 N. Morton St. in downtown Bloomington was closed on Saturday. Voting resumes Monday (Oct. 19), with additional Saturday hours scheduled for Oct. 24 and Oct. 31.

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