On March 28, dozens of Housatonic students gathered to join the No Kings Protest at The White Hart in Salisbury. It was a windy and cold Saturday morning, but students joined together nonetheless. Months later, Housatonic is still feeling its lasting impact.
For participant Eliana Lang, Sophomore, this was her first No Kings Protest experience. “I decided to go because it was really local to me, and I think it’s really important for people, especially young people, to voice their opinions and beliefs and stand up for what they believe in,” she said. “I would definitely go again, I think it was really important for us all to show up, and show what people from different generations think about these issues, and how they respond in times of need,” said Lang.
The Housatonic students present were called on stage for recognition. The speaker that day acknowledged how grateful the organizers were to have young people in attendance. Throughout the morning, the students recall being approached by fellow protesters who were excited to see younger faces in the crowd.
“It is helpful to show that these problems are affecting everyone and everybody no matter what age cares about them. People want to help no matter what age they are,” said Lang. “In a small town area, a gathering like this is harder to come by, but that should not mean that people should not have access.” Youth participation in rural areas is dwindling, but the students in attendance believe in its necessity.
The median age of No Kings protesters is 48 years old, and polls indicate that people aged 18-29 make up approximately 8% of rallies nationwide. Youth participation since the first wave of protests has been a consistent struggle even in large cities, and in rural communities, some have no student participation at all. However the students who participated in Salisbury were active in promoting participation on social media and encouraging other students to join. “I hope it encourages other people to do things in the future,” said Paul Losh, Sophomore. The protest at the White Hart was his first protest as well, but he remarked that he plans to continue participating in the future.
“I think spreading the worry is really important, just inviting people to come and support the cause,” said Losh. While there are no immediate plans for the future, it’s likely that the next local No Kings Rally will have many familiar student faces present.
