Have walker, will protest

Seniors, people with disabilities, opt for more accessible ‘No Kings’ rally in Madison

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They came with their walkers, canes and lawn chairs. Some were in wheelchairs and others on foot. The average age was likely around 80, though some grandchildren and other younger people were present as well. 

While an estimated 15,000 people swarmed downtown Madison Saturday afternoon for the “No Kings” rally, a group of seniors and people with disabilities fanned out along South Gammon Road near Tree Lane, chanting and holding signs, to express their displeasure over the Trump administration’s policies on everything from the deportation of undocumented immigrants to the threats to Medicaid and Social Security. 

Organizers hoped the event would be a more accessible option for those who might have trouble getting to and navigating the crowds of the larger rally held Saturday in downtown Madison. They expected about 100, but a lively crowd of more than 500 turned out for the 2 p.m. demonstration, including Carrie Paulen of Hanover, Pennsylvania, who happened to be in Madison this weekend visiting her aunt. 

“I’m really happy there’s a safe place for me to have my voice heard, because big marches would not be it,” says Paulen, who uses a wheelchair. She says curbs are tricky for people in wheelchairs and there’s always the possibility of getting tripped on or pushed over in a large crowd. 

Restrictions on LGBTQ rights, and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, “are all the things that would affect me and people I love,” she says. “One person should not be deciding who is more important than the rest of us. The vulnerable population is going to suffer and that’s not okay.” 

Paulen’s aunt Ann, who is 90 and not always sure of her balance, was also reluctant to venture downtown. But, she says, “I felt like I wanted to do something.” 

“I’m pissed,” she adds. “I want no kings, no dictators. I want justice and kindness and leadership. And I want to restore our place in the world. I’m very upset about where we are.”

Ald. Joann Pritchett arrived at the rally with two small red cowbells, urging her constituents to “make some noise.” She says that the “legislative branch” has been co-opted and is ignoring the will of the people. 

“I’m going to be as loud as I can be to make sure they know we are here,” she says. 

The rally was actually quite loud at times, with the vast majority of passing cars honking repeatedly in support. The signs were both serious and funny: One woman carried a facsimile of a gold toilet seat, with the wording, “Trump’s ONLY Throne!!!” 

Also: “Kings are not my thing.” “Hands off the EPA. There is no Planet B.” “Compassion and Justice for all.” “If there’s money for a parade, then there’s money for Medicaid.” 

Dona Duquin, who is in her 90s, recently moved to the Madison area, as did her daughter, Sheela Mullen, and “favorite” son-in-law, Bob Bennett. Duquin’s 13-year-old pup, Aashi, was also in tow. “Aashi means joy and laughter in Sanskrit,” she explains. 

Duquin says she has family that has needed supportive services in the past and believes they should continue to be available for others. “If people need help we should give it to them.” 

Carol, who preferred not to give her last name, says she was at the rally to “make her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren proud.”

“I have a lot of descendants and I worry what life will be like for them if we don’t get a change here,” she says. A former college professor from Texas, Carol says she worked with doctoral students from all over the world and is also concerned about “the disruption” to them and their families from the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail their access to American universities.

Rose Rasmus, whose husband, John, helped organize the rally, uses a wheelchair and considers herself a “stay-at-home-person.” She says Saturday’s rally was a “perfect way” for her to participate in what was a day of coordinated protests across the country. “To watch and never share your opinion gets old,” she says. “Today is just unbelievable. I’m loving it.”