Peace Corner: an ongoing battle for democracy

A battle for democracy resides on the corner of Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road, also known as “Peace Corner,” every Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Believing that President Donald Trump’s agenda impedes on the people’s right to free speech, protestors assemble to protect what they believe to be the very constitutions that make up man’s rights. 

Alongside the protestors, Jackie Kurtz-Beggs and Monica Tyn Eyck, leaders of Eden Area Indivisible, are willing to do whatever it takes to impeach Trump.

 In an act of resistance, Kurtz-Beggs and Tyn Eyck have both transformed the Ides of March, which refers to the assassination of Julius Caesar whose power was believed to threaten the Roman Republic, into the Ides of Trump, to demonstrate the threat they feel to their democratic norms. 

Eden Area Indivisible, the same group that can be found at Peace Corner, serves Hayward, San Leandro, and the unincorporated Alameda County regions of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, as well as Cherryland. They are located in the California’s 14th congressional district. 

“We think it’s really important that our free speech isn’t infringed upon — that your free speech isn’t infringed upon,” stated Tyn Eyck. “There are certain guarantees in our constitution that Abraham Lincoln said best: government for the people, by the people, and we don’t feel that is what’s happening.”

Demonstrators participate in various forms of protest. One way participants take action is by sending postcards to the White House to alert Trump of their dissatisfaction with his presidential motives. On the back of each card, it writes “you’re fired,” referencing an infamous catchphrase of his used on “The Apprentice” television show.

“When I was a single mother in Castro Valley, my son depended on [the Department of Education],” said Kurtz-Beggs. “Well, Musk and Trump are cutting funding for the Department of Education.”

As Trump and his administration quickly move to dismantle the Department of Education which oversees federal funding for K-12 schools and handles discrimination complaints, critics argue it jeopardizes thousands of teaching positions, impacts the teaching and performance of students, and puts students of color at risk at experiencing prejudice without protection, as millions of Americans rely on this support. 

Protestors stand unified at Peace Corner, carrying signs that bare messages of defiance. The signs range in phrases and colors yet all follow the same commonline: to challenge Trump’s agenda. Phrases such as, “Nobody elected Elon,” “Stop the Coup d’etat,” and “Defend Democracy” can be read off these signs.

“Trump’s presidency is the fulfillment of a promise to destroy our government completely,” said protestor Gregory Fite. “The process that is going on right now is the deliberate, intentional, and willful destruction of the government and our country.”

While the corner at Safeway may not look significant at first glance, it is a part of a much larger battle. 

Indivisible as a whole is a nationwide organization, founded by Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, dedicated to resisting Trump’s, as phrased, “authoritarian agenda.” There are several groups all over the country in every single state. 

Anyone can join the movement or even register a group for their specific area, if there is not already one, through https://indivisible.org/.

“Come out every Friday night if you’re interested to join us,” urged Kurtz-Beggs. “We need the people or things won’t change.”