A small group of Maine protestors set sail in kayaks and other small craft on Saturday, braving the roughly one mile paddle from the mainland to Hupper Island to hold signs and protest in the direction of U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Chief Justice John Robert’s vacation home.
[RELATED: “Relatively Peaceful” Portland ‘No Kings’ Protest Leads to Two Arrests of Violent Demonstrators…]
“Badassery as only Mainers can do.. this crew of MidCoast Mainers kayaked outside of the island retreat of Chief Justice Roberts today in a flotilla with signs reading, ‘shame,’ ‘protect democracy’ and ‘you made a king,’ said political strategist and activist Marie Follayttar on X.
Follayttar also posted photos of the small protest, that reveal a group of boats painted to spell out “Mainers Resist!” along with a dramatic video from local photographer Jim Dugan, featuring ariel footage of the event set to a dramatic rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Susan MacNeil-Densmore, who serves on the board of the Midcoast Community Chorus and is described as a retired social worker and activist, organized the “‘By Land or By Sea’ Flotilla for Chief Justice John Roberts” event.
The protest took place from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, with a rain date set for the next weekend lest the intrepid mariners need to weather stormy seas. Kayakers departed from a public boat launch at Port Clyde. The event included an hour-long silent vigil, with “non-violent non-profane” signs outside Roberts’ 10 Hupper Island address.
Some Mainers, apparently unwilling or unable to take to the seas, participated by holding signs from the shore.
Protesters willing to stick around after the event could have joined MacNeil-Densmore in Chapman Park, Rockland, for something described as “Noon SING.”
She publicized the event via The Audacity: Community Action Together, a left-wing, pro-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) group that focuses on non-violent protest through “visual, written, and preforming arts.”
Some of the top links on their website include “Protest Singing,” “Brass Band,” and “Dance Party.”
Despite some recent Supreme Court wins for President Donald Trump’s administration, such as a decision to allow the president to fire executive-branch employees, or a ruling against nationwide injunctions from activists judges in lower courts, Roberts can hardly be described as a radical MAGA agent.
[RELATED: SCOTUS Reins In Federal Judges on Nationwide Injunctions, Yet to Rule on Birthright Citizenship…]
The Chief Justice has a history of voting with liberal court justices against elements of President Trump’s agenda. In 2020, for example, he voted against ending protections for illegal immigrant “dreamers,” people who entered the U.S. illegally as children.
Earlier this year, Roberts voted with the court’s three staunchly liberal justices against allowing Trump to cut professional-development funding for teachers as part of his fight against DEI in schools.
