NEWBURYPORT — For those who can't attend comedian Jon Stewart's Rally To Restore Sanity on Oct. 30 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a handful of Newburyport residents have organized a satellite rally to be held at the same time.
The local rally is scheduled to take place at Brown Square starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by a live streaming of the Washington, D.C., rally inside City Hall starting at noon. Local musicians and stand-up comedians are expected to entertain those who attend the free event.
Stewart's rally, along with another one at the same time by fellow comedian Stephen Colbert, The March to Keep Fear Alive, were conceived as a response to a rally organized by conservative talk-show host and author Glenn Beck. The Beck rally drew about 90,000 people to the same location in late August.
Co-organizer Nancy Earls said the idea for a local rally came during conversations with neighbors and friends.
"We were feeling our young voters were becoming somewhat disengaged because of the tenor of the political discourse," Earls said.
On Oct. 12, the City Council unanimously approved the use of City Hall to stream the rally. Organizers had previously sent city councilors a letter stating their intention.
In the letter, rally co-organizer Susan Shefte described the event as a way to take a "nonpartisan look at restoring sanity to our political landscape."
Earls, wife of Newburyport City Councilor Gregory Earls, said she understood how some might consider the rally a Democratic Party-leaning event, considering the themes presented in Stewart's Comedy Central television show.
"That was never our plan to have it as a Democratic event," Earls said, adding the event was open to everyone.
Larry Giunta from the Newburyport Republican City Committee said he didn't have a problem with rally organizers using City Hall, since they went through proper channels.
"Everybody has the right to assemble," Giunta said.
Co-organizer Deb Massa said the Newburyport satellite rally is one of many scheduled across the country.
"Tens of thousands of people are expected to be at the mall in Washington for these rallies. We thought a Newburyport event would give those unable to go to D.C. a chance to join Stewart and Colbert in their cause to restore civility to our public discourse," Massa said.
In addition to free refreshments, rally-goers will be able to create their own "sane signs" with material provided.
"It has been a long time since we've had any fun at a political event," fellow organizer and Amesbury resident Tom MacLachlan said. "I, for one, am looking forward to it."
Newburyport Republicans will be holding their own rally a week earlier on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon inside Market Square.
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