CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — As President Donald Trump arrived in Charlottesville for a fundraising dinner at Trump Winery, Indivisible Charlottesville organized multiple protests around the city and Albemarle County, rallying against the current administration.

Three events, located at the intersections of Route 29 and Proffit, Route 29 and Hydraulic and Routes 20 and 53 near Monticello Trail, were organized in the hopes that a presidential motorcade from the airport to the winery would pass by them. But Trump opted to travel from Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport to his winery by helicopter.

A group of protesters were also present at Blenheim Vineyards, just two-and-a-half miles away from Trump Winery.

Barbara Ruddy, one of the organizers, said the demonstrations all came together quickly, and she had been up since 5 a.m. working with other activists to coordinate them. She said was proud of how the organization came together for these events, describing herself as “just a tiny cog in a large wheel.”

“Their energy is boundless,” she said.
”I don’t know how they do what they do all the time. Many of them are working full time. I’m retired, so I have a lot of free time. 
They’re working full time, and still doing this sort of thing. So I really give them tons of credit. Very, very proud of them.”

Throughout the evening, protesters spread around the area and many were there for different reasons. Some cited recent events, including the redistricting referendums in Virginia and other states, and the controversy over Trump’s inclusion in the Epstein Files, among others.

But others had more local, personal motivations for protesting, citing the comments Trump made in 2017 following the Unite the Right rally in August 2017 that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer. Trump sparked controversy just days laster when he told the media there were “some very fine people on both sides.”

Those comments were not forgotten by many of Friday’s protesters.

“Trump hasn’t come to Charlottesville since before the 2017 Unite the Right rally,” Ashleigh Crocker, who attended the protest at Route 20 and 53, told Cville Right Now. “And Charlottesville remembers what he said about the very fine people on both sides, and we wanted to come tell him that we didn’t like that.”

As with previous protests against the Trump Administration, like the three “No Kings” events organized locally by Indivisible, attendees said the event not only ensured their voices were heard, but helped provide an outlet to voice their frustration while connecting with others who feel similarly.

“On a daily basis, I’m depressed,” Erin
Wise-Ackenbom, who works with Indivisible and attended the protest off of Route 29 and Proffit told Cville Right Now. “And by doing this, I feel like I have some control in my life and we have some control of the world and just to let the world know that what he’s doing, we do not agree with that.”

While there was some light heckling exchanged between a few protesters with a couple of nearby Trump supporters, the mood of the protests remained light and peaceful.

While increased violence at major protests and incidents like the death of Renee Good in January in Minneapolis increased anxiety over attending such protests, those in attendance on Friday expressed happiness over their decision to join.

“All of the protests that I’ve been to recently have been very joyful, very happy, very loving, very community minded, and it’s been a great way to make new friends and come out there and it’s very peaceful,” Crocker said. “I didn’t bring my kids today, but I wouldn’t feel hesitant to bring them in the future.”

Wise-Ackenbom gave another perspective, saying that while she believes recent events are “horrible,” it makes it important for people to stand up for what they believe in.

“I can say when I’m rocking in my rocking chair, that I did as much as I possibly could to make things right for the next generation,” she said.