Bellmore-Merrick women make their voices heard

At the pitch-dark hour of 4 a.m., the day after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, South Shore residents gathered at the Bellmore train station before getting on a bus headed to the nation’s capital. The Bellmore-Merrick Democratic Club organized the group to join the Women’s March on Washington, a political movement aimed at expressing concerns about the effects a Trump administration could have on civil rights and women’s health care.

This reporter joined them on the bus to document their trip.

Betty Ribis, of Merrick, marched because she has grandchildren. “I want to tell them their grandma tried to do something,” she said.

Ribis, who is not a member of the Democratic Club, met its president, Claudia Borecky, roughly eight years ago during a local protest. Along with fellow South Shore residents, they opposed the construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal 13 ½ miles off the coast of Long Beach. Since she had taken part in political resistance in the past, Ribis said that it made sense for her to join Borecky’s bus for a larger-scale movement like the Women’s March.

“People say give Trump a chance,” Ribis said. “With the environment at stake? We can’t afford to.”

Bob Young and Dave Denenberg, both of Merrick, acted as the group’s hype men. Young walked through the bus aisle at 5 a.m., exuding enthusiasm. “I’m so pissed off from watching [the inauguration] all day,” he shouted. “I can’t wait to get going!”

In Washington, Denenberg led the group through throngs of protesters, many sporting pink knit caps, toward the main stage, where celebrity speakers addressed the crowd.

Not everyone was there to protest, however. We spotted a red-and-white-striped emblem that read, “Bikers for Trump.” The political organization hosted a separate rally honoring the transition of power in the White House. R.C. “Casper” Pittman, of Pensacola, Fla., helped set up the Facebook page “Ride for the Inauguration” with the Bikers for Trump’s Northwest Florida division. The page provided travel advice for the event. “We don’t want to hurt anybody,” Pittman said. “We’re here to celebrate.”

Participants in the Women’s March danced and took photos in front of the bikers’ main stage as their own form of peaceful protest. Among them was Hamrick Walters, a 20-year-old in floral-patterned, olive chinos who carried a sign that read, “Rural men love women’s rights.” The Kentucky native stood alone, but rode to the march with the Kentucky Workers League, an organization advocating democratic socialism. “I wanted to show that [Kentucky], as a whole, is not this Republican fortress,” Walters said. “The fight is everywhere.”

As the march progressed, more and more people started filling the area. I climbed up streetlights and bus shelters with other reporters to take photos of the crowd. From my position, the mosaic of homemade signs, pink caps, and women, men and children colored the streets of Washington.

As we returned home, participants shared their reactions to the day’s events. Cynthia Slater, 48, of Lynbrook, said that it felt empowering to defend Planned Parenthood with her mother and daughter by her side. “I just can’t wait to get home and watch Alec Baldwin,” she said, referring to the Long Island actor’s portrayal of President Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

Gary Gilbert, 65, of Bellmore, used one word to sum up his reaction: “passion.” An active member of the Democratic Club, Gilbert walked to the Bellmore station at 4 a.m. to ride down with his fellow community members. He said that the march was a demonstration of democracy and American values. “The other side needs to know that there is another side,” he added.