There were postcards available for protesters to mail to members of Mississipp’s congressional delegation. Demonstrators carried signs denouncing the Trump administration’s policies, some more explicit than others. Signs were also critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the dismantling of government agencies and the Trump administration’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
The federal government’s response to recent immigrant rights protests in Los Angeles remained in the back of some protester’s minds, including Noelle Covington from Brandon, who came to speak out for immigrant rights.
“I did have a little bit of hesitation with all the people,” she said. “Just knowing, trusting that we are going to remain peaceful here and also when the police chief put out a statement and said we've done this a couple of times with no incidents in that he was like we are gonna make sure that they stay safe. I was like absolutely. So I feel good. I believe in our people here in Mississippi. I feel good enough to bring my child.”
Saturday’s Jackson protest occurred only several hours after the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, something Greta Kemp Martin thought about while deciding to protest.
“My heart broke this morning,” she said. “I think any normal person would have some reservations to come out, but I'll be honest, we feel so supported by our law enforcement here. I think that they understand that we are here to peacefully gather and just to exercise the rights that we have as American citizens to express concerns.”
Kemp Martin added that she felt the need to publicly react to how she feels about the Trump administration was too important.
“I think specifically, and probably most recently, is just the tyranny that we're seeing across this administration,” she said. “We have the deployment of National Guard troops in California against the protest of the governor. We saw just this week a member of the United States Congress being handcuffed and led out of a press conference when he was only trying to ask a question of a member of our president's cabinet. I think there are a lot of specific instances that have led up to this moment. But I think more than anything, people are scared. People are scared that this administration is overreaching.”
The Jackson protest was more numerous and more diverse than previous demonstrations, both racially and generationally.
Willow Williams is a young transwoman living in Pearl.
“With Mississippi being a very red state and so many anti-trans laws happening, I'm hoping that me being here will be representation for young trans people and also just trans people in general,” she said. “Showing that there are people here for you and that despite Mississippi passing so many of the strictest laws, the people here, a lot of them do care.”
Sophia Sturgeon, who is both Mexican-American and White, is originally from Texas. She wore traditional Mexican braids woven with the colors of the Mexican flag and her late grandmother’s traditional earrings.
“My grandfather actually served in the army here in the United States,” she said. “That's the reason for my sign. It says my abuelo did not fight for this country to hate him.”
