Protestors ‘for justice’ not discouraged by midday storms in Geneva Saturday

Over 100 protestors weathered the storm Saturday during the “Together for Justice” rally in Kane County.

Protestors gathered on the western sidewalk along South Randall Road near Gleneagle Drive in Geneva as rain began to fall shortly after 11 a.m. June 19, for the “Together for Justice” protest organized by We Can Lead Change.

When lightning struck around 11:30 a.m., organizers decided to start packing up due to safety concerns, but participants decided their mission was more important than staying dry, and nearly 100 people stayed out in the rain to protest under umbrellas and ponchos until 1 p.m.

Geneva resident Jean Fasano was out waving an American flag from under an umbrella Saturday afternoon.

“I’m out here because I’m fighting for our country’s integrity and what it stands for,” Fasano said.

During the protest, organizer Miki Powell, of St. Charles, was impressed with the determination of the attendees, even after it was technically called off. She said despite the rain, they still saw a “remarkable” turnout and were getting a lot of support from passersby.

“There are some people that are so dedicated they don’t care about the risk, because they are dedicated to democracy,” Powell said. “It’s about being together for justice and continuing to fight together for this nation.”

Fasano described herself as a “daughter of the revolution” as a direct descendant of a revolutionary war veteran. She drew similarities between what her grandfather fought for and what “Together for Justice” stands for.

Revolutionary War soldiers “were fighting for exactly what we’re fighting for: not having somebody tell us what to do, not being afraid to speak your piece and all your freedoms,” Fasano said. “We need to stand and fight for this, and protect people who can’t protect themselves, like immigrants. We all have rights and so do the immigrants. We need to take care of our fellow human beings.”

We Can Lead Change Fox Valley was founded in 2017 to promote civic engagement, foster dialogue, increase voter participation and support equity and inclusivity in local governance, by organizing campaigns, rallies and other community events.

Powell reported that those who gathered collected a car-full of clothing and toiletry donations for Hesed House in Aurora during Saturday’s protest.