Northern Mariana Islands residents hold anti-Trump rally

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) residents held a peaceful roadside rally against the policies of US President Donald Trump in Saipan last Saturday.

The demonstration took place in front of Oleai Beach Bar and Grill in San Jose.

Anti-Trump protest organiser Jeff Race said people are rallying throughout the US and around the world protesting the removal of due process under the Trump administration.

"They're protesting the illegal cancelling of government programs through [the Department of Justice]. They're protesting the cancelling of free speech by Trump, his illegal orders and his anti-constitutional orders as well," he said.

"I think that we are in danger of the United States slipping into a dictatorship and that's why I'm here because I love democracy."

The CNMI Sports Hall of Famer said they were also protesting on the eve of Trump receiving a report from the Department of Defence and the Department of Homeland Security on whether he should invoke the Insurrection Act.

"If he does, he will have the power to send the regular US Army against American citizens who are protesting and that would be a full-on dictatorship.

"I believe that that's what is going to happen whether it happens tomorrow or a week from now or a month from now or three months from now. That is his path to a full dictatorship and I believe that is what he is after. That's his endgame."

Race also worries about America's standing in the international community, as he sees Trump's policies eroding longtime partnerships with allies around the world.

"Trump can do so much damage. We already see him ruining our relationships with our allies and our trading partners. We see him assuming greater and greater power and cancelling, attacking his political enemies, retaliating against people."

Janet McCullough said she joined the protest because she believes in what Race is fighting for-love of country.

"I love democracy. I am shocked at what is happening in the United States and other places," she said.

"We are being horrible to immigrants, to poor people, to students.There is no free speech. People are intimidated. I know people that wanted to be here today and felt afraid to come because of their immigration status."

Asked what's her message to the people of the CNMI, she said this: "I would say speak up. Try not to be afraid."

"I know a lot of people are laying low right now but get your message out there. Talk to your legislators here.

"Talk to our representative in Congress. Talk to each other. Help people understand because so many people don't educate themselves about the facts."

And for the women, McCullough had this to say: "I am a mom. I have a daughter. Women's rights are terribly in danger.

"When Roe v. Wade was undone, it's restricting women in all capacities for health and just, it's suppressing. It's taking us back years and years, you know, with the new act about women who have changed their names maybe now can't vote. That's disenfranchising."

She added that the US now is not the democracy of the country that she grew up in before moving to the CNMI 40 years ago.

Anne Erhard said she worries about senior citizens like her during this Trump presidency.

"I know a lot of people including myself and other family members who are very anxious about what's happening to Social Security and the erosion of our privacy, access to our health records, access to very private data and what we fear is the access to destroy what we have earned and worked for all this time."

Erhard said and other family members are collecting Social Security and she had to think twice about coming out to support democracy during Saturday's protest "because I don't know if that's going to make a problem for my continued receiving of the Social Security benefits I've earned and paid into."

Race's son, Cody, who was born on Saipan and has lived on the islands all his life, said that Trump has to go.

"I am out here to support all of the people who support democracy, who support the rule of law, of reasonable law, and who are against just massively convicted criminals or giant arrogant (expletive) who think themselves kings running our country.

"You got to get rid of this government as fast as possible or there's not going to be a government to get rid of in a few years."

His message to fellow youth like him is to "hold on, guys, because I have no idea where this is going and I just hope we come out of it okay."

Mike White said they are demonstrating because they believe that America needs to return to the rule of law.

"We have a president who doesn't respect our constitution, who doesn't respect the rule of law, who doesn't respect the rights of people.

"We've just got to change this. America can't continue this way. He's threatening people, he's removing people from office illegally."

On Trump's first 100 days in office coming up on 30 April, White described it as a disaster.

"He's passed less legislation than any other president in history, despite all his claims that he was going to get done on his first day in office, on the first 100 days in office.

"He hasn't done anything. I think there's been a total of six bills that have been signed into law, all of which are totally inconsequential. [We] got a spineless Republican majority in both houses of the legislature in Washington.

"The Republican Party has lost its morals."

Jeff Race said he organised the rally knowing too well that he might up in a Latin American prison despite him being a US citizen, as he alleged Trump warned on TV.

"He just was caught on a hot mic talking to the dictator of El Salvador, [President Nayip] Bukele, and telling him that he should build five more prisons because he's going to be sending US citizens down there to be put in prisons in El Salvador."

And his advice to US citizens not only in the CNMI but America as well is to resist Trump in every way possible.

"[We need] to resist the United States becoming a dictatorship. I used to love Superman when I was a kid. Truth, justice, and the American way."