A central Ohio protest group is preparing for fall demonstrations against actions by the Trump administration.
Since February, Indivisible Central Ohio has staged multiple protests around the area, including one on Saturdays outside of the Tesla dealership at Easton.
WOSU’s Debbie Holmes spoke with volunteer Mia Lewis about the group's plans.
Debbie Holmes: Tell me about the strategy for this fall.
Mia Lewis: I think that a lot of Americans are very distressed about things that are happening that are outside the norm of American democracy. You know, we have a Constitution, we have rule of law and we've had a tradition of, you know, peaceful transfer of power for the past 250 years. And it feels like a lot of those things are kind of being thrown by the wayside by Donald Trump and his administration. And so, a lot of people are very distressed, and they want to make their views heard and known.
Debbie Holmes: Out of everything that's happened this year under the Trump administration, can you name one or two things in particular that have really bothered you in the group?
Mia Lewis: People being taken off the streets by people wearing masks, who claim that they are police or ICE or something, but we don't really know, they might just be kidnappers. I mean, the idea that in America, you have to worry about whether you're going to be taken off the street by a mask, a group of masked men. That's really terrifying to me, and that people are being denied due process, attacks on freedom of speech, attacks on science. You know, thinking about will my immunocompromised friend be able to get a vaccine, because the person who is in charge doesn't believe in them.
Debbie Holmes: How many people are you still seeing demonstrating or how large are you?
Mia Lewis: We do so many different things. I wouldn't even say that protesting is our main thing. So many members are busy writing postcards or letters, or they are helping to elect a candidate, or they are calling their state representative to advocate for an issue, or collecting signatures for a ballot initiative. We really do a lot of different things. But there are people who feel very frustrated that they're not able to reach their representatives. Because of gerrymandering, they don't feel that their representatives maybe are listening to them. And so, protesting is a way of trying to communicate something when these other normal methods that should work in a democracy are not working.
Debbie Holmes: What kind of response has your group seen?
Mia Lewis: We get a tremendous amount of support. People are constantly asking to join our group, which is fantastic. But whenever we're out at a protest, people drive by and they honk and they show that they support us. And I do really feel that not everyone feels comfortable going out and holding a sign about something, but when you do that, then you show other people that, you know, that opposition is there and they do show their support very much so.
Debbie Holmes: What is the goal then?
Mia Lewis: The goal is for people to realize that this is not business as usual. This is not just politics. This is an administration that is trying to fundamentally undermine our democracy. And so, the goal is for people to step up and speak out about that.
Debbie Holmes: How much longer then will you continue?
Mia Lewis: We will absolutely continue until, I mean, I don't think there's an end date. We will continue as long as democracy needs to be defended, as long our representatives are not listening to us, as long, you know, our state is gerrymandered. All the issues that we care about, we will continue to advocate for solutions.
Debbie Holmes: Is it difficult to keep people engaged week after week, month after month?
Mia Lewis: I don't think so, also because it seems like every week, every day, there's a new outrage that people are worried about.
