Diane Dicranian, Treasurer, of the Maine People’s Campaign, at Cutter Street Press Conference Today.

Some of the Dozen Cars Participating in the Caravan Starting and Ending on Cutter Street on the Eastern Promenade.

Charon M. Hribar, Director of Cultural Strategies, the National Poor People’s Campaign, (R) with Her Husband Jose Vasquez (L) on Cutter Street.  They Are From New York City and Came to Portland for this Event.

“We are registering voters everywhere we can,” said Diane Dicranian, treasurer of the Maine State Poor Peoples Campaign, this afternoon at an impromptu press conference  at Cutter Street on the Eastern Promenade.  “That includes food banks and house to house efforts,” she said.

Dicranian said that more than 40% of Mainers live under the national poverty level.  “Trump is receiving top notch medical care and his administration is trying to revoke the ACA in the Supreme Court next month.,” she said.  “And yet Trump and McConnell are pushing through an anti-abortion Justice to the Supreme Court. The Senate has failed to address a stimulus package as well.”  The McConnell led “Senate Sins”  that Susan Collins endorses is a long list that advocates for the poor will not remain silent on.

The Rally against “McConnell’s Led Senate Sins” was to have been held a rally at Lobsterman Park, in downtown Portland, and across from Senator Susan Collins office.  But, late last night Rev. Barber called off the rally at the Lobsterman Park because of the pandemic. He said that people needed to remain 12 feet apart, and could not get out of their vehicles – eliminating the Lobsterman Rally.

Rather than a Rally there with speakers, a caravan of about 12 cars circled the Park about three times with horns honking before returning to Cutter Street on the Eastern Promenade for the impromptu  press conference to replace the Park rally cancelled late last night.   However, no one at the Cutter Street impromptu press conference observed the 12 ft. rule prescribed by Rev. Barber and all were out of their cars.

Please see previous post on the Rally against the McConnell agenda today for more basic information.