Days before the second inauguration of Donald Trump, around 100 Binghamton activists gathered downtown in the snow to march for human rights. The rally was spearheaded by community groups Indivisible Binghamton, the Southern Tier chapter of Citizen Action and the Southern Tier Voices of Power.

Carrying signs and chanting, the crowd formed at the Peacemaker’s Stage before marching down Court and Chenango Streets toward the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton.

“We need a strong coalition to fight side by side these next four years,” an organizer who did not give their name said at noon on the Peacemaker’s Stage. “But make no mistake, it’s not enough to simply survive for four years. We need to ensure that our children and young comrades survive for the next forty.”

The demonstration championed a wide range of issues, from the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and abortion care to working-class solidarity. It was held in parallel with protests and marches across the country, all reminiscent of the 2017 Women’s March that marked the beginning of the first Trump presidency. Thousands assembled in Downtown Binghamton nearly eight years ago as part of that international movement.

Lori Wahila ‘87, a co-lead of Indivisible Binghamton, led marchers down Court Street. In an interview with Pipe Dream, she said she was inspired by protests against the first Trump administration.

“I was at the original Women’s March in 2017 down in Washington D.C., and that actually changed my life to get involved and to stand up for women’s rights,” Wahila said. “But then, over the years, being part of Indivisible Binghamton, we have stood up with rallies and protests and letters to the editor and got involved in local elections just to stand up for all rights.”

“When the Women’s March were going to do this march across the nation, they were calling theirs the People’s March, and we decided here locally to call it the Human Rights March, because we wanted to not just be about women’s rights but all rights that are going to be and have been and will be assaulted with this new incoming administration,” she added.

After arriving at the United Presbyterian Church, the crowd lined the pews and heard from several speakers, including the Rev. Kimberly Chastain, the church’s pastor and head of ministry; Christina Zawerucha of the Together for Ukraine Foundation; Moira Haggerty, an LGBTQ+ youth center specialist; and Sue Seibold-Simpson ‘83, M.S. ‘88, a family nurse practitioner at Southern Tier Women’s Health Services.

Chastain opened with a land acknowledgment and the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. She echoed the value of inclusivity and mutual aid, highlighting the church’s 42-bed shelter as an example of the community needed in today’s political climate.

“And I preached on Sunday and I want to say today: ‘It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the climate that we’re in because there’s so many ways to get it wrong and so few ways to feel like what we’re doing matters,’” Chastain said.

She criticized the projected impact of immigration policies supported by Trump and his allies. A Jan. 18 New York Times poll suggested that many Americans back Trump’s immigration plan, with 55 percent of adults supporting the deportation of all immigrants here illegally and 41 percent supporting ending birthright citizenship for those born to undocumented parents. In recent days, news organizations have reported that Chicago will be targeted first by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, though those plans are now under review.

In her speech, Chastain mentioned a “back-and-forth” between some demonstrators at Peacemaker’s Stage before the march began because “there were some folks who weren’t white who felt like they had not been included in the conversation.” Wahila addressed these concerns, saying the rally’s planning was opened to the community, and there was miscommunication, as she never heard back from some groups.

Zawerucha, also a coordinator and lecturer at Binghamton University’s English Language Institute, then described her organization’s work supporting Ukrainians on the front line and refugees in Broome County.

“Whether we’re filling a shipping container to send supplies to people fighting on the front lines, whether we’re performing music and arts workshops to raise money for Ukrainian hospitals or whether we’re working on political empowerment, transportation, work and education opportunities for newly local refugee families, we are always grateful to our community members of all backgrounds who come to help,” she said.

Many Republicans in Congress have expressed hesitation in sending further military aid to Ukraine. Zewerucha called on the crowd to contact their senators and urge them to reject “a number of individuals” nominated for “cabinet-level positions, who have not been supportive with Ukraine or aid to Ukraine.”

Haggerty, the LGBTQ+ youth center specialist, spoke next. She was critical of Trump’s rhetoric on transgender people, including promises to sign executive orders restricting their rights.

“Let me be clear as well: They will start with the T, but they will swiftly move on to the L, G and B,” Haggerty said. “No amount of capitulation will change their minds.”
Speaking about their work, Haggerty recalled witnessing “queer joy,” which they said was greater than the difficult realities facing LGBTQ+ youth.
The last speaker, Seibold-Simpson, opened with a call in support of abortion rights and access. Southern Tier Women’s Health Services, where Seibold-Simpson works, is the only abortion provider in Binghamton and sees patients from across northern New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, she said.

“If you support abortion services, let people know,” Seibold-Simpson said. “Tell your friends, tell your family that you support abortion, that you are a kind and loving ear to people who are making that decision and that you are supporting them for what is often a terribly difficult and isolating choice.”

As the speeches ended, the crowd made its way to the church’s basement, where several community groups were tabling. Kari Dickson, the co-chair of community outreach and advocacy at Southern Tier Voices of Power, said it was important for the organization to assist in the rally’s planning in the face of the incoming administration.

Dickson shared a quote from Brit McGoff-Hall, who founded Southern Tier Voices of Power in November.

“Our mission is to provide all marginalized groups in our community a safe space to talk, organize, share and plan,” the quote read. “I started this group because I was feeling alone, but I promise that here, you are never alone. We are stronger together, and we will fight back.”