Meanwhile in Humboldt County: Small Trump rally at courthouse as party leaders seek unity

North Coast lawmakers express optimism

January 20, 2021

A small group of 10 to 15 protesters gathered at the Humboldt County courthouse on Inauguration Day with continued support for former President Donald Trump. Protestors waved American flags and held signs praising Trump and calling for his re-election in 2024.

Five members of the small group declined to comment on the protest.

“I’m here to stand up for the truth,” Eureka resident Rebecca Dement said as the “Star-Spangled Banner” blasted over her shoulder. “The American people will see the truth. All the American people, not just Democrats and Republicans. They’ll see what was done and they’ll see that what was done and they’ll see the truth.”

Another protester, who refused to give her full name, waved a giant American flag and said she attended the protest to express her First Amendment right to speak.

“I’m concerned that our right to speak is under fire,” she said. “This country is somewhere where everybody who wants to come has the ability when you get here and to write the script of your own life. In other countries, you can’t do that. Capitalism allows us to do that, to start from scratch and build ourselves into something extraordinary. That’s why I’m proud to be an American because of what this country embodies.”

Eureka resident Corbin Solomon stood across the street from the courthouse with a sign reading “Bye Don” and shouted at the group of Trump supporters.

“It’s ridiculous what’s happening. I hope America wakes up from this racist, bigot thing,” Solomon said. “It scares them that America’s getting brown but I grew up in the segregated South and I’m speaking from experience.”

Eureka Police Capt. Brian Stephens stood with two other police officers in a parking lot across the street from the protest. He told the Times-Standard that the Republican Party of Humboldt had informed him there would be a rally.

“Given some of the actions across the country over the last couple of weeks, we’re just taking extra precaution to make sure everybody gets their rights to express the First Amendment without any hiccups and hopefully it all goes off easily,” Stephens said. “Generally, this is what they do from 12 to 1 p.m. when they’ve had different types of gatherings here at the courthouse.”

Parties seek unity

In a joint press statement issued last week, the Humboldt County Republican Central Committee and the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee denounced the violent storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. and called for a peaceful transition of power on Inauguration Day.

“It is Humboldt’s Republican Chairman Doug Brower’s and Democratic Chairman Danny Kelley’s hope and prayer that our two Parties can work together by supporting our long-standing traditions of democracy and peaceful expressions of freedom of speech while strongly denouncing violence and destruction of property,” the statement said. “Humboldt County is a special place and together we hope to be an example to the rest of our state on how we can coexist and even work together. As tensions continue to run high, we retain our faith in our democratic system of government.”

Reached by phone shortly after President Biden’s inaugural address, Kelley underscored Biden’s message of unity.

“I appreciated President Biden’s message of unity during his inaugural address. Here locally, I think we’re still struggling for unity in our community and I think that unity can come, but I think we need to leave the doors open (for) a conversation on both sides of the aisle and we need to work together and focus on local issues,” Kelley said.

Brower did not return the Times-Standard’s repeated requests for comment Wednesday.

North Coast lawmakers react

Speaking to the Times-Standard from Washington, D.C., North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) called the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is “a turning point for our country.”

“It’s a complicated set of feelings. Profound relief that we made it through the Trump presidency and all of the threats that were amplified and in his final weeks, as well as hope that President Biden is bringing new people and new values and new competency to all of our challenges,” Huffman said. “I’m also a little bit worried that people may think our work is done because we’ve changed presidents. It’s important to understand that the work is really just getting started and we are all going to have to pull together and to get through some difficult months ahead.”

North Coast State Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) told the Times-Standard, “Today’s biggest winners are American voters and our democracy.”

“This inauguration is a symbol to this nation and the rest of the world that our democracy can withstand its greatest threat in over a century and that the will of the American voter will be followed through on come hell or high water,” McGuire said. “Despite immense challenges, I have no doubt better days are ahead under a Biden administration with a focus on unity, the truth, tackling this deadly pandemic, equality and science.”

Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) said he is looking forward to new leadership in a Twitter post.

“Acknowledging those we have lost and the reality of where we are, yet knowing what we can do for all Americans is the honesty, compassion and optimism I look forward to in the new leader of our nation.”


By:  Isabella Vanderheiden
Source: Eureka Times-Standard