Residents Rally on Prospect Town Hall Lawn Sunday

I was surprised to see a group of residents rallying outside of the Prospect Town Hall yesterday afternoon, Sunday July 18, 2021. Around 20 or so men and women set up shop on the triangular strip of land at the intersection of Rt. 69 and Rt. 68 in the center of town.

Mrs. Large and I were driving through on the way to go shopping and I pulled over and snapped a couple of photos. In the two minutes that I was around the group, most of the fellow drivers passing by were honking, some of them in support, and a few others trying to antagonize them.

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The signs that the group erected along the roadway were a mixed bag of hot-button issues. Two gentlemen in the crowd were holding up big "Thank You Trump" flags and there were plenty of real Red, White and Blues flying too. Quite a few homemade signs were up also, some of the messages were "Early Karma to Big Pharma", and "Pro-America/Anti-Biden".

Prospect is a town of around 10,000 residents and is Connecticut's least populated town with a mayoral government. Prospect "Mayor Bob" Chatfield is also the state's longest serving Mayor and 6th longest-serving Mayor in the entire United States. Route 68 between Naugatuck and Cheshire is lined with American Flags through town, just like Rt. 25 is in Brookfield. Since 1977, the town council has been controlled by Republicans.

I don't necessarily agree with the messages that were printed on the signs, but I respect Freedom of Speech and the right that citizens have to gather together in a public space to have their voices heard. It's not often that you come across a scene of community activism on a Sunday drive through Prospect.