First day of summer – pro, anti-Trump demonstration disconnect …

As I arrived shortly after noon, Wednesday, June 21, to photograph the increasingly faith-based pro-Trump rally at the intersection of Chester and E. Main Streets, one woman crossed the street toward me pointing at the Gazebo yelling, “Make sure to take a picture of the empty space over there!!!”  As I pointed my camera her way to photograph her pointing, she wheeled and quickly retreated to the pro-Trump side, back to camera.

Pro-Trump supporter in pink shirt proves camera shy after aggressively alerting the media to the absent Vigil for Democracy at noon on June 21. But she was right – the pro-Trump contingent found themselves facing off with an empty Gazebo area. Photos/Roger Bianchini

As I continued to photograph the pro-Trump supporters, there were other comments heard about the fact the anti-Trump Vigil for Democracy contingent that has been numbering around 20 to 25 for several months, was nowhere to be seen.  As I heard “Ave Maria” being sung and Hail Mary’s being recited beneath the now familiar trio of “TRUMP – Make America Great Again”, American stars and bars, and Knights Templar flags, there was a sense of having driven the “Vigil-ites” from the Front Royal Village Commons.  However, the crowd of about 20, including eight to nine children I’d estimate at ages 10 to 16, continued to focus its attention, prayers and song directly at the empty Gazebo area where the Vigil for Democracy protests had been going on since March 8.

If you look closely you will find seven pro-Trump children, four adults (including Ralph Waller), and one cardboard president in this photo – can you ID the presidential flat body double?

Despite story comments questioning the “pelvic” nature of pro-Trump signage, June 21 was not the first time “defunding planned parenthood”, “protecting sanctity of marriage” and “protecting every human life from the moment of conception” signs have been displayed on the Trump side of the street.

“If you find out they moved, let me know,” Ralph suggested.  “I think it may have more to do with time than space,” I replied.

And at 5 p.m. that theory was born out (“fake media” alert – I had “anonymous sources” inside the vigil that had tipped me to a pending time change to accommodate both the weather – the theory being that it will be slightly cooler at 5 to 6 p.m. than noon to 1 p.m. this summer – as well as an accommodation to some who want to participate but work too far away to make a lunch-hour trip to downtown Front Royal.

At 5 p.m. the Vigil for Democracy re-emerged, same place, new time. And if the time has changed, some of the issues remain constant – Russian collusion, Trump’s documented challenges with truthfulness, and the president’s stated affection for ‘uneducated’ supporters, among others.

One young vigil participant supports science and the “Science Guy” Bill Nye, while adults lobby for common cause and non-partisan agendas.

And there they were, about 18 strong at 5 p.m., including two children estimated ages (correction, 6 to 16; the 6-year-old (according to his mom) sporting a sign reading “Bill Nye is my guy” with a photo of the nationally-known “Science Guy”.

Vigil organizer Len Sherp verified the time change in his vigil permitting for the above “leaked” reasons (my sources may be anonymous to you, dear readers, but they know of what they leak).

And Ralph had taken my advice as to the time and space theory of what happened at the noon hour, soon reappearing with son Michael and two pro-Trump signs, giving a perhaps brief flashback to the first eight weeks, prior to the addition of an evangelical tone to the pro-Trump side of the street.

“I told you it was time, not space,” I reminded Ralph as I crossed the street to shoot the vigil from across Chester Street.  When I returned for some closer shots of vigil signs, I delivered a message – “Ralph says you all cross over to his side to carry on the dialogue this week.  And soon it was Sherp himself who took up the offer, leading to the next to last photo accompanying this story.

Len Sherp and Ralph Waller may not agree on certain political issues, but at least they are carrying on the dialogue.

By 5:40 p.m. some of the earlier, faith-based Trump supporters had reappeared.

The last photo documents the return of several of the earlier pro-Trump Catholic contingent, one adult and three children by the time I left around 5:40 p.m.  I wonder if the pro-Trump contingent will also alter the time of their permitting this week – actually I never did verify whether those demonstrators actually have a Town permit for their demonstration.

But I think I’ll leave THIS story with THAT teaser – “stay tuned to next week’s episode for more on this late-breaking item” – sort of like the president likes to do to the national media about various “hints” he drops here and there about things from secret audio taping at the White House; to coming “tremendous” military statistics on the Middle Eastern war on ISIS (he’s been promising a press conference on that topic “in two weeks” for five weeks now); or exactly what he REALLY thinks about the Republican health care bill he seems now desperate to see passed despite his earlier Tweet that it “is mean”.