Representative Bergman Confronts Protesters
After protesters waited for 1st District Representative Jack Bergman outside ACC for about two hours, yesterday, they finally got their word when the congressman went to the public library for another meeting.
Bergman had been in Alpena for a private event at ACC, hosted by the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce. Fifty plus individuals from The People for Social Justice and The Action Group of Northeast Michigan gathered on the sidewalk in front of ACC, with signs and a message for the congressman.
They had been attempting to get in contact with him since he left for Washington, but had seen little to no response to their requests for a town hall meeting with the congressman. After the event at the college, Bergman exited the building with police and headed to the public library, where he went upstairs for another private meeting.
Still determined to get a word out of Bergman, protesters headed to the library. But the group was asked to leave, and was promptly locked out. Bergman came outside and spoke with protestors. He assured them of his dedication to the social issues they gathered over, including education and the environment.
Protesters say this acknowledgment is a step in the right direction, but there are still no definite plans for a town hall meeting at this time.
“We asked him when he was going to hold a meeting, like a town hall meeting, because there were by then, by the library, there were only like five or six of us out there. And he said ‘um, well yeah, at sometime I will do that.’ So really no commitments to anything,” said protester Janice Prentice.
Representative Bergman was in Petoskey yesterday, speaking at a similar event hosted by the Petoskey Chamber of Commerce. He was once again met by protestors.
