MONTICELLO, NY — Maria Zeno, an attorney in Monticello, formed the Human Rights March in Monticello with several intentions, one of which was to focus on all human rights and not exclude the rights of any person or group of people.

“We need to take a stand, we need to stand up for our rights the way our ancestors did before us to secure our kid’s future,” said Zeno.

About 90 participants marched from the Ted Stroebele Center to the Sullivan County Supreme Court on April 2. Planned Parenthood, Latino Alliance of Sullivan County, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Democratic Women of Sullivan County, New York Civil Liberties Union and the Sullivan County Democratic Committee were some of the organizations that participated in the march.

President Donald Trump has been vastly criticized for his stance on healthcare, immigration rights, women’s rights, and reproductive rights, among others.

Since his inauguration in January, some 2000 bill have been introduced in Congress.  These bills include the termination of the Environmental Protection Agency, defunding Planned Parenthood, repealing rules protecting wildlife, weakening labor unions, and imposing criminal penalties on anyone who performs abortions.

These issues, although national, have undoubtedly and equally affected local communities as well.

Wes Gillingham, Program Director for the Catskill Mountainkeeper said that the Trump administration is blatantly disregarding environmental factors such as protecting water from the negative impacts of drilling for fossil fuels. Gillingham said the Human Rights March was, “an important step because it was an intersectional effort,” bringing together groups with overlapping interests.

Allen Weir, founder of the Latino Alliance of Sullivan County, said that it is essential to give a voice to oppressed and underrepresented individuals. “The Latino Alliance tries to be that voice if there’s an issue that will affect the Latino community,” said Weir.

According to Weir, one of the biggest issues that face Sullivan County is the level of participation by Latinos civically, socially, and educationally.

“If they want to be heard, they need to come out,” said Nicole Escoto, secretary and treasurer for the Latino Alliance of Sullivan County. “Let your faces be seen and your voices heard on behalf of your children.”

Outside factors such as work, finances, and transportation limited people from traveling to recent marches. According to Zeno, the Human Rights March in Monticello allowed people that were unable to attend previous marches, to take part in demonstration and discussion regarding issues and topics that affect them at home.

One of the topics that was discussed that affects individuals on a local and national scale is the know-our-rights movement. Pamphlets were created by the American Civil Liberties Union and were available for participants. Rights were listed for various scenarios, including if an individual is stopped by the police, immigration agents, or the FBI.

Zeno said that not knowing what your rights are can cause immense trouble. “If they don’t know what their rights are, they’re not going to be able to defend themselves and their families,” she said. “We need to let the community know that these resources are out there.”

The march was a step in the right direction for many, but Weir wants to keep the momentum of the march going. “Marches are good attention getters for the media. You shout, you scream, you raise your first, you wave a sign, then what,” asked Weir.

Moving forward, organizations such as the Catskill Mountainkeeper plan to address environmental issues by a variety of methods, including shifting New York to renewable energy.

The Latino Alliance of Sullivan County is holding a second annual Hispanic cultural festival in July to continue to shed light on the Latino community while encouraging Latinos to get involved. “The strongest voice is the voice of the individual,” said Weir.