This editorial is written in praise of the ordinary citizens of the U.S who despite the appalling challenges they are facing under the Trump regime are reacting with peaceful but determined resistance.

Probably the most shocking thing about this era of Trump is how fast events are moving. The gaudy gilding of the Whitehouse, the demolition of the East Wing, the concreting over of the Rose Garden, sticking his name on every possible structure he could, removing references to the heroism of Black service personnel, pardoning the Jan 6 insurrectionists, attempting to re-write history, invading an independent country – kidnapping its President – to exploit its oil resources, threatening a NATO country with invasion, bombing vessels in international waters, hunting down people within their communities using a brown clad camouflage wearing masked and heavily armed cohort of knuckle-draggers, and from those atrocities to the ridiculous award of the FIFA ‘Peace Prize’.

Possibly I have missed something, please add those comments below.

The stand out feature, however, has not been the ravings (often barely coherent) of the Trump but of the courage of unarmed US citizens who have taken to the streets to defend their communities. But not only in defence of where they live – they are the upholders of the very Constitution Trump and his Cadre of sycophants are trampling all over.

Unarmed US citizens are recording, documenting, and facing up to heavily armed ICE agents. Against the aggression of masked agents, designed to provoke and intimidate, many citizens have answered with humour – as we saw in Portland. For others it has cost them their lives.

Massive protests are taking place across the US. In Minneapolis where mother, wife and devoted Christian Renee Good was shot in the face 3 times by an ICE agent as she tried to drive away, ordinary Americans came out in huge numbers.

Four people have been shot and killed by ICE agents, and many others injured. Over 30 people have died in ICE detention centres in 2025.

US citizens exercising their First Amendment rights has angered Trump and his Cadre. A Constitution that when sworn into office they pledged to uphold.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The Orkney News has many readers in the US and we acknowledge the courage that you are showing in these challenging times.

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. – Robert Kennedy.

Fiona Grahame