Indivisible Bemidji Holds Rally to Show Support for Public Broadcasting

The organization known as Indivisible first started as a Google Docs guide to help organize local rallies to protest President Donald Trump’s agenda. Now, local groups use the Indivisible name to organize nationwide, and one such group in Bemidji is stepping up its rallies as well.

On Tuesday, Indivisible Bemidji held a protest in response to President Trump’s executive order calling for the elimination of federal funding to PBS and NPR. The group protested outside of the Lakeland PBS office and then marched along the old Paul Bunyan Trail to Highway 197.

“PBS is an important resource for so many people in our community,” stated Indivisible Bemidji volunteer Nancy Haugen. “There’s many people that, it may be the only station that they have. And I know I’m a big supporter of PBS, and I believe that they have very balanced news coverage. We’re happy to support PBS.”

Organizers of the group have already held a few demonstrations in the past, most notably one in April next to the Paul and Babe statues to coincide with other protests nationwide. Leaders believe the organization will continue to grow as long as they keep protesting.

“It just seems like they’re getting larger each time, and there’s more people getting involved and more people speaking up,” Haugen said. “We are encouraging anyone who is concerned with what’s happening in our government right now to join us in these peaceful protests. We are not paid protesters, we are peaceful protesters. And it is our right under the Constitution to do so. And so I would encourage others to join us if you’re at all concerned about what’s happening.”

The Indivisible group is holding another nationwide protest on Saturday, June 14th in response to President Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C. Tuesday’s rally was planned and organized solely by Indivisible Bemidji.