Community members are invited to attend a Free Speech Rally in Defense of Democracy taking place on October 18 on St. Thomas and St. John. The rallies will coincide with more than 2,200 other events taking place across the nation and abroad.
On St. Thomas, participants will meet at 10 a.m. on Veterans Drive across from Windward Passage and walk east along the Waterfront to “the People’s Promenade” across from the courthouse. Rally-goers will be joined there for a musical performance by the St. Thomas All Stars Steel Band.
On St. John, community members are invited to assemble in Frank Powell Sr. Park across from the ferry dock from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Shikima Jones-Sprauve, St. John administrator, will kick off the event by singing the U.S. and USVI anthems, and there will be music, speakers, and a table for voter registration.
“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action,” said Erin Lieb, one of the organizers of the St. John event. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
Participants at both events are invited to make signs expressing their views on issues concerning free speech and threats to democracy. Jane Higgins, the organizer of the St. Thomas event, said, “No signs are required; just show up!” But for those carrying signs, she requested, “Please, no rudeness.”
Anyone on St. John who is interested in making signs is invited to a gathering at the Great Room at Gifft Hill School’s lower campus on Tuesday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Some materials will be provided; participants are welcome to bring their own.
(Editors’ note: The St. John Social Action Team rents space for its meetings at the Gifft Hill School, but the school is not affiliated with the event, nor does it endorse it.)
“Making a sign makes you think about what you stand for; it helps you focus your thoughts into simple ideas,” said Lieb.
The rallies in the Virgin Islands are part of a national mobilization. “We’re a movement that knows that courage is contagious,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the national organization Indivisible, which is coordinating the events. “We exercise our rights in the open because when we do that, others will do that, too.”
For further information on the St. Thomas rally, email jhigginswear@gmail.com. For information on the St. John rally, please go to the St. John Social Action Team on Facebook.
