FORT KENT, Maine — More than 30 people came out Saturday in Fort Kent amid cold temperatures to protest the recent actions taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
That comes after ICE and Border Patrol agents recently killed two U.S. citizens in separate shootings in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, sparking nationwide protests and calls for the agency to either discontinue its aggressive operations in American cities or to be abolished entirely.
The protest began at noon Saturday. Organizers met outside the Fort Kent Public Library and marched up Pleasant Street to the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus. Some passing vehicles honked in support of the protesters.
The event started when Fort Kent resident Dakota Bouchard, who had followed the national events, reached out to the Aroostook County Democrats to see about staging a local response. The organization reached out to Dana Appleby of the Western St. John Valley Democrats, who then worked with Bouchard to plan the Saturday protest.
Bouchard said he was motivated to do something after hearing about the deaths caused by ICE and increasingly hateful rhetoric in the media and even locally on social media.
“It made me want to do something to show that there’s more awareness, especially in our area, and that there is a community and people do care,” he said.
He said the nasty comments on social media from others in his area were also a major motivator to organize this event and to show that that type of rhetoric does not represent everyone in his community.
Appleby, who has experience organizing events like this, helped Bouchard plan the protest and coordinated it with the town’s police chief and other officials along Pleasant Street, where the University of Maine at Fort Kent is located. She said the chief supports their right to peacefully protest, and that she respects law enforcement and border patrol, but wants them to show everyone the same level of respect and justice while going about their duties.
“We’re here today to show that the St. John Valley values human dignity and the safety of our neighbors,” Appleby said. “What happened in Minneapolis, and what’s happening here in Maine and all over the U.S., the loss of life and aggressive tactics used by federal agents, is a concern for all of us no matter how far away we live.”
Appleby has heard from others in the Fort Kent area that they are tired of the policies in Washington and want to see a change, she said.
Some protesters traveled from as far as Stockholm and Fort Fairfield, well beyond the border of northern Aroostook’s St. John Valley, to join the demonstration.
Protester Matt McCuen said he and his family recently moved to New Canada from South Carolina, and that he decided to join because he wants to testify for human dignity, equality and loving his neighbor.
“We saw the opportunity to engage with the community, to come and be seen by others, and of course we’re walking right past the university campus, which has a heavy immigrant population,” McCuen said.
Bouchard was originally apprehensive to reach out about doing something in response to ICE’s actions, but doing so helped him find a greater sense of community, he said.
“For me, this is a big step out of my comfort zone, and I’m glad I did it,” he said.