WILLIAMSBURG — When you see a group of people waving signs and flags outside of the Williamsburg-James City County courthouse on Monticello Avenue — most likely, that group of people are members of the local political organization Williamsburg JCC Indivisible.
Williamsburg JCC Indivisible has been active in the community for nine years, explained Indivisible organizer Heather Meaney-Allen.
In the past, the group has held peaceful rallies and marches for women’s rights, equality, against gun violence, for citizens of Ukraine and other political causes. It often hosts “Freedom Fridays” rallies, as well.
Indivisible, an organization with local chapters throughout the United States, states “our democracy is under threat. But we will not yield to fascism. We will stand together and we’ll fight back in defense of our rights, our communities, and our values. We’re a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”
This month the Williamsburg JCC Indivisible group will be hosting two events.
On Sunday, Jan. 5, from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., the organization will hold its Remembrance Rally of Trump’s Insurrection Day at the Williamsburg-James City County courthouse.
“We have always marked the insurrection day because we’ve been so horrified by it,” explained Meaney-Allen.
Former State Delegate Jay Jones, a candidate for Virginia Attorney General, will be the featured speaker and an international television crew is expected to attend.
A second event, also planned to take place at the courthouse, is a Women’s March/Rally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18, from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Williamsburg JCC Indivisible has been leading women’s marches since 2000 and Meaney-Aleen said “we are a trusted host.”
This year’s Women’s March will run a little differently from years past, she added.
“We will have an open mic where people can come and speak about the things they feel. We wanted to open this up to the public and not have designated speakers to make it more democratic since we are fighting for democracy,” she explained.
The event will include a rally in addition to the march so that it will be more inclusive to anyone wanting to attend.
“Many times people have said, ‘I would have come if I was able’ but marching is not mandatory. We’re trying to do for everyone and include all,” Meaney-Allen said.
Explaining that all its rallies and marches are peaceful, Meaney-Allen stressed that the group expects responsible and mature behavior.
“We will not tolerate (bad behavior),” she said. “We are an older group and almost all of us have ties to the military. We are doing this because we are fighting for democracy.”
The Facebook event page outlines specific rules for attendees — “We will not engage with counter-protesters. We will not engage in any acts of violence or violation of any applicable laws or engage in civil disobedience. All actions will be peaceful. Everyone participating in this event will be required to behave lawfully to ensure the safety of event participants and will seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. We will obey the orders of authorized event marshals and law enforcement authorities.”
Meaney-Allen explained why these types of events are important.
“The world is watching. This is why we need people to show up. The world is watching to see if we actually care or not. I know some people are frightened to come out. I get that. I understand it but at some point, you got to put your country ahead of it. That’s just my opinion,” she said.
