Hundreds March In Protest Of President Trump Through Downtown Nantucket

Hundreds of island residents gathered in the rain Saturday afternoon at Children's Beach for a "No Kings" protest of President Donald Trump, venting their frustrations over his administration's handling of immigration enforcement, budget cutbacks, foreign affairs, and the recent deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines to California.

The protest was organized locally by the group Indivisible Nantucket and was one of numerous "No Kings" rallies and marches nationwide on Saturday.

An estimated 650 island residents attended the protest and marched through downtown Nantucket carrying signs and chanting "Donald Trump has got to go" and "This is what democracy looks like."

Indivisible Nantucket has organized several protests on the island since President Trump's inauguration, but Saturday's gathering was by far the largest, and came just weeks after federal agents conducted one of the largest immigration enforcement operations in island history, taking 12 people into custody. 

That was one of several factors that organizers believe led to a significantly larger turnout than prior protests, despite the nasty weather on Saturday. Brad Smith, one of the leaders of Indivisible Nantucket, said the group had received only 100 RSVPs leading up to the "No Kings" protest.

"With the rain, I thought that would cut it in half," Smith said. "But it was a significantly larger crowd than any one of us was anticipating...It meant something to people to come out and be represented and show up. I think everyone was in good spirits, and looking around them, and seeing how many people felt similarly.

"Nantucket is such a fascinating microcosm of the whole country all mashed together, so there's a mix of fear from people who don't want to make noise, and other people who have suddenly been touched by it, or know someone who has," Smith said.

The ICE raid after Memorial Day weekend was motivating for many people who participated in Saturday's protest and march, he added.

"We have such a large immigrant community here and such a low crime rate, so to come here and take people was not about protecting anyone’s safety or protecting Nantucketers from violent crime," Smith said. "All it does is put fear into the community and make people suspicious of each other and law enforcement, and their neighbors. I think people wanted to come out and push back against that feeling creeping in."

Organizers said the protest and march were completed peacefully and without incident or any significant counterprotest. The Nantucket Police Department was stationed along the route of the march and was in contact with the leaders of Indivisible Nantucket.

"Everybody's goals were aligned, and we wanted it to be peaceful and fun," Smith said.