14 | AUGUST 29 • 2024 J
N
I
t’s a tradition for the Democrats
of South Oakland County
(DSOC) — encompassing
party members from Oak Park,
Huntington Woods, Royal Oak
Township and Berkley — to hold a
summer picnic. Approximately 100
members and guests were gathered
on Aug. 15 to enjoy another pleas-
ant evening in Oak Park’s David H.
Shepherd Park.
Then, like a thunderstorm on
the horizon, a small group of
Anti-Israel protesters emerged
from the parking lot. They wore
black-and-white Palestinian keffi-
yeh head and neck coverings. The
four came intent on disrupting
the event, whose agenda included
greetings from elected officials
and a special 80th birthday cele-
bration for Marian McClellan, the
popular mayor of Oak Park.
The protesters quickly edged
up to the rented pavilion, while
six Oak Park public safety officers
provided a neutral barrier.
A man and woman held a
long sign: “Hey Dems Nothing
Progressive About Genocide.” Two
more women with them included
one yelling loudly on her mega-
phone.
Incumbent U.S. Congress-
woman Haley Stevens of the 11th
District was billed as a speaker
at the picnic. She recently defeat-
ed challenger Ahmed Ghanim
in the Aug. 6 Democratic pri-
mary. Stevens, a staunch Israel
ally, spoke at the microphone
for only a short time before the
loud barrage against her started.
The woman on the megaphone
targeted Stevens by name for vot-
ing to give military aid to Israel.
On and on went her accusations
of “shame” to Stevens and the
Democrats. Besides demanding an
end to the Gaza war, she launched
diatribes against the existence of
Israel.
DSOC Chair Glenda Stainbeck
heard that a poster promoting
the protest was being circulated
with a picture of horns drawn
on Stevens’ head. Nina Abrams,
a DSOC officer, said State Rep.
Regina Weiss (6th House District)
told her she saw the picture. So
did McClellan.
Anticipating trouble, the mayor
called City Manager Eric Tungate
and Steve Cooper, director of the
city’s Public Safety Department.
Stainbeck also called but said the
department “already knew the
situation. I told him again that we
were expecting some VIPs.”
The protesters did not need
a permit because they were in a
public space.
“The police were there to ensure
there was no violence, and they
(the protesters) stayed out of our
rented pavilion,” said Mary Ann
Fontana, a former DSOC chair.
The officers’ presence helped
calm the emotions of the picnic
attendees. They chose not to
challenge or otherwise provoke
the protest leader. Instead, music
for dancing was turned up high
in an attempt to drown out the
bullhorn.
Everything happened as
planned, including the tributes to
McClellan, but, as Abrams said
later of the protesters, “They were
super rude; their behavior was
incredibly insulting to the mayor
and Oak Park.”
Later in the evening, a former
chair of the Dems club with nego-
tiating skills tried speaking to the
protesters, but “they were not lis-
tening to anyone,” Stainbeck said.
“One or two of them may have
attended our July [club] meeting,”
she added. “We let them speak
at our Good & Welfare [when
attendees can speak about items
of interest]. And they could have
spoken today to express their
opinions, too, if they’d asked to be
put on the agenda.”
“The protesters said repeatedly
that they were not leaving until
we did,” Fontana said. Indeed,
Abrams said the woman shouted
nonstop on her bullhorn for 2½
hours, not ending until the picnic
items were packed up and every-
one was in their cars to go home.
“I’m sure there will be pro-
testers at the convention,” said
Stainbeck, a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention
that started Aug. 19 in Chicago.
But she wasn’t worried about her
safety there: “I fully expect there
will be tight security, and we will
be protected.”
Summing up the incident,
Fontana said, “They certainly
didn’t garner any sympathy for
the Palestinian plight by their
tactics.”
A small group of Anti-Israel protesters try to disrupt a picnic for local Democrats.
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
Picnic Protesters
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER