Veterans in Manitowoc Join National “Vets Say No!” Movement Calling for Change on Veterans Day
- Markola Williams
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 27 minutes ago
At the intersection of Calumet Avenue and Dewey Street, a group of local residents and veterans gathered on Veterans Day for Manitowoc’s “Vets Say No!” rally, part of a nationwide movement opposing the militarization of U.S. cities and calling for stronger protections of democracy and civil rights.
Jill Iverson and Val Jean Marco of Progressive Lakeshore People, a Manitowoc-based civic organization, organized the event. Iverson said the rally connected the local community with more than 1,000 cities across the country holding similar demonstrations.
“We’re for Progressive Lakeshore People here in Manitowoc, there are 800 of us,” Iverson said. “Today is ‘Vets Say No,’ and there are 1,000 cities supporting the movement and standing up against the militarization of our cities, taking our National Guard and using them as pawns against our citizens, which is unconstitutional and wrong. We’re also here against ICE. So, all of us are here to try to save our democracy.”
For Marco, a U.S. military veteran, Veterans Day was the right moment to make that statement.
“As a veteran, I thought Veterans Day would make a very powerful statement to the public that veterans are defending the Constitution of the United States like we were trained to do when we wore uniforms for the U.S. military, either the Navy, Air Force, Army, or Marines,” he said.
Marco expressed concern that taxpayer funds are being used to turn military power inward on American citizens.
“Currently, right now, we are all U.S. citizens, and we are all paying taxes,” he said. “What bothers me is my taxes as a U.S. citizen are being put forth towards ICE and the National Guard, and he’s talking even the Marines and Army, to patrol our streets against us. I am paying taxes to have people stop my freedom.”
Throughout the day, participants stood along the busy intersection holding signs that read messages like “Vets against fascism” and “No U.S. Troops on U.S. streets.” Passing drivers honked and waved in support as the group’s flags and posters fluttered in the wind. There were even hecklers who did not support the protest in which Iverson stated, “We just give them the love”.
The national “Vets Say No!” campaign aims to reclaim Veterans Day as a time not just for remembrance, but for action. Organizers across the country are calling for an end to using military and law enforcement forces in domestic roles and for renewed investment in healthcare, housing, and other services that veterans and civilians alike rely on.
In Manitowoc, the message carried weight far beyond the intersection of Calumet and Dewey. For those who stood there, it was about honoring service by continuing to defend the values they once swore to protect.