Despite slick conditions outside on Monday, three protesters held signs with messages of resistance and love, and a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They were standing on a sidewalk along the Kenai Spur Highway, across the parking lot from Ammo-Can Coffee, which has two Donald Trump flags in its window.
Diane Peterson of Kenai organized the small protest. She says she was quiet about her disapproval of Trump during his first term in office, but is no longer standing back.
“I just have such strong feelings against a lot of what he stands for and what he’s created in our country," Peterson said. "The divisiveness and a lot of hatred, and I just felt like I needed to stand up and say how I feel.”
Peterson says she protested near the coffee shop because it's the only place in town she knows of that publicly supports Trump. She says a few motorists passing by gave thumbs up or honked approval.
Not long after the protest started, the coffee shop’s owner came outside to talk with the group. Peterson says the discussion was civil, but they were asked to move down the street. The group stayed, but left shortly after.
“We explained that we were here exercising our freedom of speech, just as he is," Peterson said. "We have a vast difference of opinion, but he told us to be careful on the ice and went back inside.”
Jason Floyd is the owner of Ammo-Can Coffee. He believes that his business was targeted.
“And I just said ‘Hey, I totally respect your right to be upset and voice your opinions, but I’d ask you not to do it in front of my shop, and target us because of our speech,’ Floyd said. "We have free speech as well.”
Floyd suggested the group relocate to the Soldotna Y traffic intersection, where he says people of all political positions protest and hold signs.
“We’re not going to be silenced or intimidated by people who don’t like what we say. But we’re asking people to allow us to say it and remain civil, and not do things that would intimidate our customers, or our members, or maybe radicalize others to do more serious things to us,” Floyd said.
Floyd says his business has been the target of vandalism in the past.
In response to the protesters, the coffee shop advertised on Facebook a flash Trump rally outside its store. Although the rally didn’t happen outside, shop owners say three people visited the shop because of the Facebook post.
Floyd says he hopes to see a return to neighborliness despite political differences.
“If we can get back to a place we can sit on the bleachers together at a softball game, and be neighbors, and have our kids play side-by-side with each other, and hold our political beliefs close, and not be afraid to share them, but not do it in a way that is designed to intimidate or hurt our neighbors,” Floyd said.
“To be able to express oneself without fear of retribution, express oneself in a manner that is conducive to being heard, I think is very important,” Peterson said.
Monday’s anti-Trump protest outside of Ammo-Can Coffee lasted about 25 minutes.
