Island Residents Gather At Rotary To Protest For Women's Rights

“Wake up, pay attention,” said local artist Cathy Aguiar, one of the many community members who gathered Saturday at the Milestone Rotary for a Women’s Rights Protest organized by Indivisible Nantucket.

The rotary was lined with islanders, both men and women, holding colorful signs as passing cars honked in support.

“The beautiful thing about this country is we do have free speech,” Aguiar said. “We have a right to our opinions, we have a right to express them, and I would encourage everyone to do that.”

Among those standing in solidarity at the rotary were Barbara Condon, a special education liaison at Nantucket Middle School, and Melissa Panchy, a local gardener and community member.

“We were alive when abortion was a legal safe right that women could count on, and now that it’s under threat, it’s really scary for future generations,” said Condon.

“We have daughters, I have granddaughters, I’m doing it for them,” added Panchy when asked what inspired her to join the protest.

In its flyer promoting the protest on Saturday, Indivisible Nantucket stated "Three years after the 'Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization' Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and federal constitutional protections for abortion, we won’t go back. Indivisible groups and allies across MA are putting a spotlight on the GOP War on Women. This is bigger than Dobbs. It's no longer just about abortion, as the GOP's Project 2025 is turning back the clock on everything the women's movement and the civil rights movement has accomplished over the past half century."

Nantucket became an independent member of the Indivisible Mass Coalition (IMC) in 2017, following widespread frustration among Democratic voters after the 2016 election. IMC works "to improve democracy, and support policies and legislation that improve equity and justice for everyone and that eliminate institutional racism."

Earlier this month, Indivisible Nantucket held a “NO KINGS” protest at Children’s Beach on June 14 and a “Stop the War” protest at Milestone Rotary on June 23, among other demonstrations over the winter and spring.

All photos below by Arielle Holmes: