Pamlico Progressives Indivisible Protest

By Kris Ormond

On Friday, November 14th, there was an organized protest outside of Pamlico County High School. Right in front of the old library, a group of five people displayed the “Signs of Fascism,” a protest that started in the Northeast and has made its way down to North Carolina. In an interview on Thursday, Diane Lemieux, the organizer of this protest, gave some insight as to what these protestors are seeking to accomplish.

Miss Diane Lemieux is the president of Pamlico Progressives Indivisible, the group behind the Nov. 14th protest. Their organization has done several similar displays throughout Pamlico County during November. They’ve been everywhere, from the ferry terminal at Minnesott Beach and Oriental to now, Pamlico County High School.  In total, they have done 10 displays in Pamlico, with the last two being scheduled for Saturday, November 22nd. 

The PPI’s (Pamlico Progressives Indivisible) goal in the protests was to educate the people of Pamlico County as to what constitutes fascism, as well as to encourage them to look out for those signs. To do so, they’ve picked locations and times that would experience high traffic, leading to their choice of Pamlico County High School. 

But current sophomores and upperclassmen may not have been shocked by this protest, as there was one last year. That group was advocating on behalf of teachers and was done by Pamlico Partners for Democracy, not Pamlico Progressives Indivisible. According to Miss Lemieux, both groups have partnered together in the past to work on shared events. For example, they gathered by CVS during the widespread “No Kings” protests.

Aside from protests and rallies, PPI also participates in the community. For example, they attend commissioner and school board meetings as well as support local small businesses, and several other organizations, such as YNTO and the NAACP. 

Overall, the protest on Nov. 14th shows a certain amount of civil activism in the county. As Pamlico Progressives Indivisible and other groups around the country continue to meet and rally, the talk about our nation’s political state will carry on. Regardless of locals’ views, these groups and displays bring that political discourse closer to home and to the forefront of many of our minds. 

For more information, the Pamlico Progressives Indivisible can be contacted at pamlicoprogressives@gmail.com.