SWAMPSCOTT — A statement released by the Select Board Wednesday condemned the rhetoric of the pro-Donald Trump protestors who have been gathering weekly in Monument Square.
“These protestors’ presence in Swampscott serves only to increase our community’s resolve and commitment to becoming a more accepting, inclusive, and loving community that will work tirelessly to conquer the hate and fear these protestors represent,” the letter reads.
“These protestors may be speaking from Swampscott, but they do not, and will never, speak for Swampscott.”
Select Committee members Peter Spellios (Chair), Polly Titcomb (Vice Chair), Donald Hause, David Grishman and Neal Duffy all signed the statement.
“The rhetoric, symbolism and behavior shown by many of these protestors goes well beyond normal political speech,” said Spellios. “It is vulgar, it is racist, it is ignorant. It’s that speech and that behavior that we’re calling out. I’m proud of the fact that we have a board that unanimously sees that this kind of behavior is not welcome here.”
Spellios was also concerned with demonstrators’ lack of compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.
“There are certain people who have purposely rebuffed the public safety measures to make a political statement that puts other people’s lives in jeopardy,” he said.
The Hadley school went entirely remote last Thursday in response to the rally, which turned out to be more subdued than it has been in the past.
Only about 20 Trump supporters gathered by the monument, with a slightly larger number of Black Lives Matter counter-protestors stationed across the street and at a separate site closer to the Lynn border.
In the past, the event has included more than 100 people and featured vulgar language and physical intimidation, which BLM counter-protestors claim to be largely initiated by the Trump crowd.
In addition, community members have recently reported incidents of physical violence between the pro-Trump protestors and the BLM protestors.
Multiple individuals recently contacted the Item regarding an Oct. 1 incident in which a counter-protestor was struck in the face by a Trump supporter.
According to reports from three individuals, Li, a counter-protestor who preferred not to share her last name, was using a megaphone to shout pro-BLM messages when she found herself surrounded by pro-Trump protestors. She reported that one individual intentionally hit her megaphone causing it to strike her face.
The Trump supporters are led by former radio host Dianna Ploss, who was released on bail Saturday following an altercation in Plymouth in which she punched a counter-protestor.
“She thinks her freedom of speech is more important than the freedom of speech of the people on the other side,” said Li.
Ploss was a radio host at WSMN in Nashua, N.H., before being let go in July following an incident in which she filmed herself telling a landscaping crew to speak English and questioning their immigration status.
Another rally is expected to occur Thursday at 10 a.m. at Monument Square.
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].