Marlene Archer, President of the Resident Council at Cabot Park Village, organized a one-hour Declaration of Resistance Rally for 11AM on August 1. The rally at Cabot Park Village mirrored the Hands Off and No Kings protests that occurred around Newton in response to the policies put in place by President Donald Trump. About 100 residents attended – a significant turnout for the senior living center.
The protestors — residents from Cabot Village Park and staff members – said they came for a variety of reasons including exerting their First Amendment rights and expressing their anger at President Trump’s immigration policies, massive budget cuts, and a move toward authoritarianism. Many of the residents had attended the No Kings Rally held on June 14 in Newton Centre, so this was another chance for them to make their voices heard.
Archer has been a resident of Cabot Park Village for three years and was inspired to organize the event by an email her daughter had sent to her about the Declaration of Resistance, a version of the Declaration of Independence written by the Closer to the Edge journalist website. After reading through the declaration, she felt motivated to spread the word. Having attended other rallies in the past, Archer has found that the best part of going is to meet people. “This is a chance for us to get back to a democracy,” she said.
Nancy Wrenn, an eight-year resident of Cabot Park Village, has been involved with political activism for decades. While Wrenn has attended many local rallies, she does most of her work online, having supported many organizations and causes. She is also the chair of the Welcoming Committee at Cabot Park Village. “[This rally] is a way that we at Cabot Park Village can express ourselves,” she said, “Having the rally right next door makes it much more accessible.”
Alice Fastov, who will complete her third year as a resident of Cabot Park Village this fall, strongly supports the protests. A former teacher who taught English as a second language to foreign students, Fastov is extremely upset about the massive cuts to the Education Department as well as strict policies on excluding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in universities. “Lady Liberty stands for the welcoming of immigrants,” she said, “And most of us are immigrants, including our ‘beloved leader.’” She hopes that by continuing to show up at rallies and spread information to others, residents will be able to make a difference. “[This rally] shows that we seniors still care about the country.”
Barbara, a Cabot Park Village resident since last December, enjoys witnessing the demonstration of peace throughout the protests. “It’s good to see so many seniors here,” Barbara said, “We have to get rid of the current administration.” She was glad that there were so many seniors attending the Declaration of Resistance rally and enjoyed seeing the support of passers-by.
Doug Linz, who has been a Cabot Park Village resident for only about a month, had never attended a protest before the Declaration of Resistance Rally. Linz was motivated to attend due to Trump’s actions having directly affected the people around him. He said he was there because, “We should all stand up and do what we can to voice our objections against the current administration.”
Chloe Yu is a Fig City News summer intern and will be a junior at Cornell University in the fall.
