Local groups have organized a Stand Up for Science and Democracy rally from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday outside the Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office.
Indivisible Fox Valley Rising, Fox Valley Activists, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Elgin and Western Township Democrats, HIKE Indivisible Elgin and We Can Lead Change organized the March 7 rally at the office, 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, to coincide with a National Day of Action hosted by Stand Up For Science.
“This is a national effort, so we joined it,” said Ellen Jo Ljung of Geneva. “The purpose of the rally for science is to bring attention to the way the current administration is throwing away science in favor of bigotry and ideas that are unproven. And we look at what’s happening with vaccines, climate, health care in general.”
Attorneys general from 15 states, led by Democrats – including Illinois – and the governor of Pennsylvania, sued the Trump administration over changes to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a $600 million cut in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants.
“We have polio coming back,” Ljung said. “There’s a warning to travelers that it’s no longer safe to go outside the country. It’s not considered endemic in the U.S., but we are no longer polio-free. There’s a case in Rockland County, New York.”
The National Institutes of Health reported the case in 2022 of an unvaccinated adult living in an area with low vaccination rates, according to its website.
“Initially, this was going to be a science-only march, but added democracy because the war hit and we were not accepting that,” said Miki Powell of St. Charles. “We will have a bigger turnout. People are not happy.”
Kane County Board Member Bill Tarver, D-Batavia, stated in a text message that, “This administration’s continual suppression of scientific research and promotion of misinformation threaten our health and safety.”
“By denying facts, they jeopardize local public health, undermine the agricultural economy, and impact environmental protections,” according to Tarver’s text. “Demanding evidence-based policy is essential to protect the community’s future. Our residents are really feeling the affects of not having qualified people in charge and this rally is another way to speak up and show we do not support them.”
A pro-science rally is also scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago. The St. Charles and Chicago rallies are the only two in Illinois.
According to the website, 30 other states are also listing pro-science rallies on Saturday, including Wichita, Kan.; Toledo, Ohio; Sedona, Ariz.; Chevy Chase, Md., Madison, Wis.; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and Toco Hills, Ga.
Those who cannot attend can register for a virtual rally being held in Washington, D.C. through Zoom.