About 100 people gathered for a lunchtime protest outside Sen. Roy Blunt’s office Tuesday to voice their opposition to various aspects of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
CoMo for Progress, a progressive community group, organized the event to address President Trump’s recent cabinet picks and his executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
Protestors chanted, held signs and delivered letters expressing their concerns to Sen. Blunt’s local office staff.
Attendee Linda Graue said, “Because I wasn’t able to go to some of the marches in the larger cities, I felt like I needed to use my feet to make my position clear in my community.”
Graue was particularly concerned about Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, and Jeff Sessions, his choice for Attorney General.
P.T. Martin said that in addition to this rally, she attended the Women’s March on Columbia on Jan 21, and others since President Trump’s inauguration.
“I just feel like President Trump is really trying to head the country in an isolationist direction and I just don’t believe that’s the direction we should be going in,” said Martin.
Jeff Krall said he was disturbed by the immigration ban and addressed the issue in a letter to Sen. Blunt.
“I think it’s based in fear and bias and not in facts,” said Krall. “I’d really like to see us make sure we remember the common values we all can agree on. I’m not attacking anybody for being conservative, liberal or whatever. I just think we need to uphold the constitutional principles on which this country is founded.”
Four Trump supporters were present at the event as well.
Jack Rentschler said heard about the event through the Mizzou College Republicans and held a Trump-Pence sign.
“We need to be able to have constructive discourse to solve our problems and reach a general consensus, because that’s the true purpose of democracy, no matter what you want for yourself or your country,” said Rentschler.
Kate Canterbury, an event organizer, said members of the group would return to Sen. Blunt’s office in the future.
“We’re going to keep on coming until Blunt is prepared to come to Columbia and hold a town hall and talk to us in person.”