As journalists, we’re always interested in the question of what makes people do the things they do. Sometimes that means trying to understand the motivations of presidents and CEOs. But it also means trying to understand why ordinary people do unusual things. Until recently, Evan Newmark was a happily retired former Wall Street executive. He’d never participated in a protest in his life. But three weeks ago, that changed when he began a one-man anti-Trump protest—in front of the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York, no less—that he has continued ever since. Here he explains why he’s doing it—and what he’s learned. —The Editors
What would it take for you to finally protest something?
For most of us, it would take a lot. For me, well, I’ve never been the protesting sort. Protests were other people’s business. Protests were for angry college kids and people who walk around wearing “Bernie” buttons.
I’m not a button guy. I’m a Wall Street guy. I’m the grandson of Holocaust-era Jewish immigrants. I studied hard and worked hard, and by 35, I was a Goldman Sachs managing director with a Harvard MBA. I am a Ronald Reagan, Stars and Stripes, “shining city on the hill” guy. I believe 100 percent in the U.S. Constitution and the American dream, because I’ve lived the American dream, which is made possible only by our Constitution.
So what would it take for me to finally stand up and protest?