Protestors crowded outside 3 Main Street, in front of the former police station, for Rock This Democracy's "Rally for Transparency and Justice" on Saturday, February 28.

Over 70 people from Newtown and neighboring towns and cities gathered to the area early mid-afternoon, waving American flags and holding signs calling for transparency in the government.

According to Rock This Democracy organizers Jim Allen and Alex Villamil, the goal of the rally is to demand transparency and accountability about the Epstein files, conditions at detention centers, and the Minnesota investigations into deaths of individuals as Renee Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7, and Alex Pretti, who was killed by US Customs and Border Protection agents on January 24.

Rock This Democracy's description for the event on its website reads, "Together we demand explanation, accountability, an end to the unnecessary redactions, and an end to the decades-long cover-up and lack of investigation across multiple administrations with regard to the crimes of [Jeffrey] Epstein."

Allen welcomed everyone to the rally and, on behalf of Rock This Democracy, Newtown Action Alliance, and the others who helped organize the event, read a statement of solidarity.

"We stand with allies across party lines. We stand together demanding transparency and justice, and a message to any political leaders remaining silent. There is no middle ground there," Allen said.

He continued by saying the United States government has, for decades, covered for a "international pedophile and human trafficking ring that has been engaged in horrific crimes against humanity."

He said an avalanche of alarming information has come forth in ways that are difficult to process, but that people will not back down and will not settle for token measures of accountability.

"We rise together in defense of innocence. We rise together in defense of children. We rise together and in solidarity across party lines," Allen said. "To every political leader — federal, state, or local — to every party official, you are now on record: either you are speaking out ... or by your silence, you are implicitly protecting the Epstein criminal class."

Rock This Democracy volunteer Miranda Pacchiana started by reading a quote from the late Toni Morrison: "I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence."

Pachiana said the malevolence unfolding before everyone's eyes is overwhelming, adding, "the slow drip of Epstein files so full of corruption and abuse at the highest level is enraging."

However, she said as Morrison reminds them, chaos contains information and information becomes power.

"The truth will come out, and when the walls of secrecy, silence, and oppression come crumbling down, we will get to work rebuilding," Pachiana said.

She said justice looks like free and fair elections, taxes on the rich, limits on corporate power, accountability, and protecting children with no exceptions. Moving through that fear, Pachiana said, is the process that brings people closer to a world of shared values and meaningful community.

Cyndie McGuire, with the Bethel Defends Democracy Rallies, spoke next. She started by having everyone repeat, "We're not cold. We're not afraid. Minnesota taught us to be brave."

McGuire then read quotes written by kids and given to a speech therapist in Saint Paul Public Schools, in Minnesota. Some of the quotes mentioned children's families hiding, eating, and sleeping in their basement or parents crying scared to even leave their home.

McGuire said they need to rein in ICE.

"The lawlessness, the cruelty, is on full display, and it's up to every one of us to ensure that everyone sees it," she continued. "We must not normalize what we're seeing ... We need to amplify this. We need transparency."

The next speaker was David Stowe, one of the co-founders of Newtown Action Alliance. He said he wanted to point a few issues going on right now in the government with respect to gun violence.

He called the shootings of Good and Pretti in Minnesota "state sanctioned gun violence and murder," and that the federal government is refusing to collaborate with local and state law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation and have accountability for what truly happened.

Stowe noted that newly released records show 25-year-old American citizen Ruben Ray Martinez was shot and killed by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer last year. However, Stowe said the shooting was not publicly disclosed by the DHS and that the public only learned about it recently.

"What we're seeing in all these cases of government shootings is that they are telling stories that are completely antithetical to what the reality is as soon as we have video evidence and firsthand accounts," Stowe said. "We must demand accountability and transparency with this."

He said they need to demand transparency into gun trafficking into Central and South America, calling it the "primary crisis of the immigration crisis."

Stowe encouraged congress to pass the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act to mobile resources across the federal government and provide insight into what is going on with gun trafficking into Central and South America.

Closing out the rally was Villamil, who said President Donald Trump attacked Iran earlier that same day without Congressional approval.

Villamil called this a distraction from the Epstein files. He continued by saying he has heard Democrats are turning the release of the files into a partisan issue.

"I'm here to remind people that releasing the Epstein files was a campaign promise by Trump," Villamil said. "The release of the files was one of the things most of us could agree with the opposition on."

Villamil said when Trump reneged on his promise to release the files in a timely and transparent manner and members of the Republican Party failed to keep him to his word and hold him accountable, "we the people need to hold him accountable."

He added, "This is an issue for all Americans who expect transparency, decency, and accountability from top to bottom, regardless of political station, rank, or political affiliation."

Rock This Democracy will hold its One-Year Anniversary Symposium on Sunday, March 15, at 2 pm in Newtown Community Center. Held in collaboration with Newtown Action Alliance, the symposium will feature live band, noted speakers, information tables from various groups, and more.

The local grassroots organization will hold a "No Kings Rally" on Saturday, March 28, at 1:30 at 3 Main Street, in front of the former police station. The rally will conclude with a march to the flagpole further up Main Street.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.