Memorial, protest coincide at Bayview

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 16, 2025

In what is an unusual occurrence on Whidbey Island, people of all political persuasions amicably shared a public space on Saturday for different reasons.

Mourners at the Bayview park and ride holding a memorial for Charlie Kirk, the political activist who was shot and killed last week, were joined by regular demonstrators supporting Palestine and other causes. Liberals and conservatives intermingled, and though some had reservations about the others being there, ultimately it was a peaceful gathering.

Morgan Cooper, one of the organizers for the memorial, said Saturday served as a sort of wake-up call for everyone to practice being good neighbors and start talking to each other.

“I felt like it was positive and we have to learn to get along better,” she said. “We’re not doing a very good job of that.”

She noted that people were thankful to have a place to express their patriotism, to pray and to converse with others. Around 50 people showed up for the memorial. Though the initial plan was for the memorial attendees to yield the space to the other groups arriving later that morning, conversations started organically happening and there was overlap. People driving by the park and ride on the morning of Sept. 13 would have seen a mix of signs, some remembering Kirk, others denouncing the Trump Administration and calling for a stop to genocide in Palestine.

For more than one person in attendance, the concurrent events offered a chance to build bridges. This proved true for Mary Magennis, who was there as part of the group Solidarity with Palestine Whidbey and made connections with people gathered for the memorial who stayed past the event’s original end time.

“It turns out that there’s a lot in common between us all, and I spoke with a couple young women whose husbands were in the military and we ended up taking pictures with us hugging,” Magennis said. “They were wrapped in their American flag and I was wrapped in a Palestinian flag.”

Like others who attended, Magennis noted the importance of a sign that read “All Lives Sacred.” She acknowledged that people were exercising their First Amendment rights, and while not everyone may agree with what Kirk stood for or believed, no one there thought he should have died the way he did.

Kylee Duggar and her friend Autumn Bowers drove down to South Whidbey from Oak Harbor to attend the memorial rally. Duggar recalled initially being nervous about interacting with those “on the other side of the fence,” but she soon found out it was powerful to talk with people face-to-face of different political backgrounds.

“I’ve heard such horrible things about people here because of their views, and I think a lot of it is a misunderstanding,” said Duggar, who grew up in a small town in the South.

When 10 a.m. rolled around, a decision was made to stick around longer. Duggar and Bowers introduced themselves to the other people who weren’t there for the memorial, who were taken aback by their friendliness.

At one point, a woman drove into the parking lot to shout at the left-leaning protestors, as she does every weekend when the groups usually gather. Duggar and her friend confronted the interloper and asked why she would yell such awful things at the demonstrators, which Magennis appreciated.

There are others, however, who kept more to themselves, and some who preferred for the opposing groups to be kept apart.

Melanie Wolfe, another organizer for the memorial, said it caused confusion to have so many different viewpoints represented. Though there might be future plans for those in the conservative-minded group to return to the park and ride next weekend, the goal is to avoid stepping on any toes of those of the liberal persuasion who already convene there on a weekly basis.

“We just didn’t want to see it (go) unnoticed,” she said of the memorial. “The guy didn’t deserve it, nor does anybody.”

Wolfe did not recall seeing any animosity or arguing on Saturday. Similarly, Rich Tamler, who has been showing up at the park and ride for the past 20 years as an advocate for peace, said he did not see any outbursts or confrontations. Tamler carried a large peace sign arrayed with smaller American flags and the words “Stand Up For Democracy.”

Though he saw an unwelcoming sign upon arriving proclaiming the area to be a “liberals free zone,” this didn’t deter him from joining his usually scheduled protest.

“I’m all for people expressing their point of view,” he said, adding that he was curious to see if the new group of people becomes part of a regular demonstration.