Paul Rifkin and Adam Lange are both well-known activists on Cape Cod, and although one thinks Donald Trump is the best president, and the other thinks he is a “malignant narcissist,” the two are friendly. And they are working to create a safe space for both groups to demonstrate — and find common ground.
Driving his military-style truck with a fake machine gun mounted on top and a Trump flag waving behind it, Adam Lange led a parade of supporters recently, some who wear masks and some who do not.
Paul Rifkin, a staunch Joe Biden/Kamala Harris supporter, parks his black Honda Fit and walks to Falmouth Village Green, carrying his camera and his “Move to Remove” sign to join other participants, all of whom are required to wear a mask. Rifkin, a photographer and videographer, walks around and takes pictures of people holding Biden/Harris signs or “Dump Trump” posters.
Rifkin and Lange are both well-known activists on the Cape, and although one thinks Donald Trump is the best president, and the other thinks he is a “malignant narcissist,” the two are friendly. And they are working to create a safe space for both groups to demonstrate — and find common ground.
Brewster resident Lange, 60, became a political activist in 2017 after Trump got elected. He thinks Trump is the first president to look out for him and for the country with his “America first” agenda. As a former manufacturing executive with Boeing, Lange understood the importance of American manufacturing jobs.
Lange founded United Cape Patriots in 2017, a conservative grassroots group that gathers at the Bourne Rotary every week in addition to other rallies. He organized “Back the Blue” rallies in addition to many Trump demonstrations. Lange serves as the director of events for Massachusetts Trump 2020 and is also the vice chairman of the Brewster Republican Town Committee. On top of that he is on the leadership team of the Cape Cod Salties Sportfishing Club.
Rifkin, 78, of Mashpee, served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s and cut his teeth as an activist when he was arrested at an antiwar protest in Washington, D.C., in 2008. That same year, he was arrested during a sit-in at the Hyannis office of former U.S. Rep. William Delahunt where he demanded that Delahunt stop voting to fund war.
Rifkin has also been heavily involved in protests against nuclear power plants, and in 2016, he was convicted of trespassing at the Plymouth power plant.
In 2017, he was a co-founder of Move to Remove, a grassroots organization that aims to remove President Trump from office and gathers every Saturday on Falmouth Village Green.
Lange and Rifkin met for the first time earlier this year on Falmouth Village Green during one of Rifkin’s protests, although Lange said he knew of Rifkin for several years and became a fan of his.
Before the pair met, Lange said he read a newspaper article about this “nut” getting arrested at the power plant and how he chained himself to a gate. Since they met, Paul jokes, “you’re not as crazy as me, Adam. You’re not getting arrested.”
“He’s putting himself out there and making himself heard,” Lange said. “What Paul is doing for the liberal community is very important. He gives them a sense of belonging.”
As tensions continue to rise across the nation as the election approaches, Trump, Biden and Black Lives Matter lawn signs have been stolen or vandalized, and both Rifkin and Lange have had incidents at events that luckily have not resulted in anyone getting seriously hurt.
Earlier in the summer, a pop-up stand in North Falmouth that sold Trump memorabilia was the site of an assault. After the incident, Rifkin and Lange decided to sit down and have a heart-to-heart discussion. The stand served as the hub for protests and counterprotests, but Rifkin has never had a problem with counterprotests.
Rifkin could sense a “growing hostility” between the polarized sides and said it can sometimes get scary. Many older people participate in the Move to Remove rallies, and some of them are worried about their safety, he said.
“I wanted to demonstrate that even though we disagree,” Rifkin said, “we need to be able to quiet down, breathe in, breathe out, and find common ground with those that don’t feel the same way that you do politically.”
The pair met over a breakfast of smoothies on Aug. 7, at The Stand in North Falmouth for what Rifkin described as a “healing conversation.” A columnist from the Falmouth Enterprise acted as a mediator.
Lange thought they did not get a lot accomplished during that first talk, finding it to be more about introductions and giving information about themselves.
“I wasn’t disappointed by it,” Lange said, “but we need to get down to where we’re talking about some tough issues that are going on in our community now.”
Rifkin thought the conversation went very well.
“The whole thing was amicable, respectful and much more than what I could have desired,” he said. “I found Adam to be really intelligent, informed and we just got along real good. It went really well.”
He has noticed a positive change since that breakfast meeting, making the whole thing worthwhile, Rifkin said.
Lange recently emailed Rifkin saying he wanted to bring his rally group to Falmouth where Rifkin protests every Saturday morning, and he wanted to check the time of Rifkin’s protest so that Lange’s group could come after, Rifkin said. That effort to give Rifkin’s group their space to protest made Rifkin feel the conversation was constructive.
Rifkin and Lange want to continue that dialogue, but next time they want to add more leaders from different political factions on the Cape to create more of a dialogue and build from there, Lange said.
They are both busy, organizing many rallies and preparing for the election, Lange said, but after Nov. 3, they would probably be more available to talk.
About a year ago, Lange participated in a “Politics and Pizza” event held by the Cape Cod Times, but he felt it was too large of a group to make a real impact. He suggested instead in the Times hold another discussion series with a smaller group of activists.
If they have another conversation, Lange wants to have difficult conversations, addressing complicated issues such as systemic racism, which Lange claims does not exist on the Cape.
Rifkin wants to discuss how anybody can support Trump, and how seeing a machine gun mounted on Lange’s military truck makes him uncomfortable.
Property destruction and infringements of the First Amendment are other discussion topics for Lange.
“If you’re exercising a civil right and it’s forcibly taken away from you,” he said, “that should never happen.”
For Rifkin it’s a matter of safety.
“What I care about on Cape Cod mostly is that I don’t want people getting hurt,” he said.
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