PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN

Saturday, May 10, 2025; Mothers and Others Standing Against Fascism, Lincoln Park, 1200 Starkweather Ave: A protester asks that we “Defend Due Process”.

PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN

Saturday, May 10, 2025; Mothers and Others Standing Against Fascism, Lincoln Park, 1200 Starkweather Ave: Standing on the gazebo in front of the sign for Musicians Against Dictators, Meryl Johnson speaks to the crowd about Project 2025’s agenda to eliminate the Federal Department of Education. Johnson taught for 40 years in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, served on the State School Board, and currently hosts the WRUW radio show Its About Justice.

PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN

Saturday, May 10, 2025; Mothers and Others Standing Against Fascism, Lincoln Park, 1200 Starkweather Ave: Cleveland musician Alex Bevan leads the crowd in singing Woodie Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land.

by Chuck Hoven

     (Plain Press June 2025) The over five hundred people gathered for the Mothers and Others Standing Against Fascism Cleveland rally in Lincoln Park on May 10^th. Those attending the event enjoyed pleasant weather while joining in what organizers dubbed as an “inspirationally rally in standing up and speaking out against fascism”.

     Participants in the rally were asked to bring hygiene products for families in need such as deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, diapers, and wipes.

     Ann Hill and Linda Whitman staffed a table for Americans Making Immigrants Safe and signed up volunteers to help with the cause.

     The rally held on the Saturday before Mother’s Day had a joyous atmosphere which included local musicians performing as Musicians Against Dictators (MAD). Many of those in attendance picked up song sheets with the lyrics by German poet Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiler to sing to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy played by MAD. Schiller’s poem addresses the unity of all mankind.

     Many of the speakers at the rally along with urging actions by participants, sang their favorite protest songs. In addition to being urged to write letters to their congressional representatives and senators, those in attendance also heard renditions of songs such as Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come.

     Speakers also offered information on federal policies and how they would impact families and children. A young mother held her child with Down’s syndrome while she spoke of the importance of Medicaid to families with children who have special needs.

     Meryl Johnson, who taught for forty years in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, talked about the Project 2025 initiated plan to eliminate the Federal Department of Education. She spoke about the importance of the federal Education Department in providing financial support for low-income students, special needs students, and in providing free lunch and breakfasts for children. Johnson noted that on Fridays during the school year teachers in Cleveland often hand out food bags for children to take home so they will have food when schools are closed over the weekend. She pointed out the importance of food distribution that took place at Cleveland schools during the pandemic when schools were closed. She lamented the Trump Administration’s layoffs of staff in the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office which handles thousands of complaints each year when students’ rights are violated.

     Johnson, along with other speakers, urged those in attendance to sign a petition being circulated to place an initiative on the Ohio ballot to repeal Senate Bill 1 which bans Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on Ohio college campuses and enacts other educational reforms.

     Following the speakers, Cleveland musician Alex Bevan led the crowd in singing Woodie Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land.

     Mothers and Others gathered at the rally, then began a march around Lincoln Park donning their signs while singing We Shall Overcome. Cars travelling on W. 14^th beeped their horns in support.

     The signs brought by those attending the rally spoke of many of their concerns. Signs urged United States Senator Jon Husted and United States Senator Bernie Moreno to stand up to the Trump administration and not be a rubber stamp for policies that hurt Ohioans. A group of protesters dressed in all black carried signs that each listed an item on the top of the sign such as “Mass Roundups of Immigrants”, “Attacks on Students and Universities” or “Democratic Rights Eliminated” and then the words “This is Fascism” on the bottom of the sign.

     The violation of constitutional rights by the Donald Trump administration were on the minds of many sign wielding protesters. Messages on signs included “Defend Due Process”, “Protect Free Speech, Stop Illegal Extortion of Law Firms and Universities”, “When Your President Ignores the Courts, Then You Have a Dictatorship”, “Where Law Ends, Tyranny Begins”, “America Used 2B Free”, and “Democracy Not Fascism”.

     Other signs addressed the bullying and lying prevalent in the Trump Administration. Some of the messages were: “Threats to Annex Countries, This is Tyranny”, “Protect Trans Folks”, “PBS Didn’t Become Woke, You Grew Up to Be a Bad Person”, “Make America Kind Again”, “Make Lying Wrong Again”, and “Jesus said I was hungry and you cut off food aid, I was a stranger and you sent me to secret prisons”.

     There were also messages from Moms such as “Mom for Kindness, Peace, Equality, Love, Inclusion, Hope, Diversity”, and “It is Okay to Say Trans and Gay, Our Kids will Not be Erased.”

     Many signs contained messages against budget cuts such as “Do Not Cut Medicaid, We Need it to Survive”, “Hands Off Education”, “Hands Off Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid”, and “Hands Off Public Schools, Health Care, Our National Parks, Voting Rights”.

     The Mothers and Others Standing Against Fascism Cleveland rally was hosted by Mobilize the Vote NEO, Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus, Grass Roots Resistance (GRR), Grass Roots Activism Bay (GRAB), Indivisible NEO, and Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS).