Жители острова Сан-Хуан вышли на протест против угрозы частной приватизации государственных парков

Islanders rally to defend parks at Friday Harbor protest Published 1:30 am Friday, September 4, 2026 A group of San Juan Island residents gathered near the courthouse on August 25 for a United Parks Day of Action protest, voicing concern that the nation’s public parks are under growing threat. Longtime resident Jill Acheson, who has called San Juan Island home for 53 years, said the island’s two treasured green spaces — one state park and one county park — represent exactly what is at stake nationwide. “They’re under threat. Our parks are under threat, and we need to be sure we are aware of the danger of losing what is ours,” Acheson said, urging fellow islanders to support the parks however they can. Ed Sober, who has lived on San Juan Island for about 28 years, echoed her concerns, tracing the fight back decades. He said that since the earliest days of the national park system, conservative interests have pushed to convert public lands into private property and hand them over to private organizations — an effort he believes will continue “until the end of days.” Sober’s message to fellow islanders was direct: vote for candidates who will protect public lands, and stay engaged in the fight to keep parks in public hands. Both Acheson and Sober framed the protest as part of a long-running struggle to preserve public access to the outdoors — a fight they said islanders, and all Americans, cannot afford to lose. The event was one of several United Parks Day of Action demonstrations held around the country.