VIDEO: Town Hall Meeting

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s been five weeks since President Donald Trump took office.

He’s seen both support and opposition to decisions he’s made so far. Those who oppose are raising their voices at rallies and town hall meetings across the country.

On Saturday, citizens from across the state of Mississippi gathered at the Burns-Belfry Museum in Oxford for a Town Hall/open forum to discuss issues they feel strongly about and hopefully get answers from the leaders who represent them in Washington.

Gathering in the hundreds, citizens filled the museum for a common cause.

Many say it’s to protect their freedom.

“America is a beautiful, wonderful place, and all the things we talked about today are what makes it beautiful,” said event organizer Jennifer Mizenko.

Some of the issues on their minds were workers’ rights, education, and the LGBT community.

Some at this forum don’t believe these are priorities for the Trump Administration.

State lawmakers and congressional leaders were invited to the forum, but non showed.

Still, people voiced their opinions about the issues, many getting applause from the other attendees.

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“We had people from Jackson here. We had people from DeSoto County here, and Tupelo. So we’ve actually kind of had Northern Mississippi represented, and it actually overwhelms me a bit, moving forward one of our next steps getting organized. But it also is really great to know that I’m not alone and we’re not alone and we are a group and we have a voice,” said Mizenko.

Participants say they often feel silenced, but this was a platform to not only talk abort problems, but also propose solutions.

“I feel like a lone voice crying in the wilderness, sometimes, living in a red state. I’ve been looking for somewhere to go… and say ‘Hey! This isn’t right; it’s wrong,'” said attendee Susan Richards.

An event like this can bring like minded people together to achieve a common goal.

“It felt good. It really did, to know that I wasn’t the only person,” said Richards.

More of these Town Hall meetings, forums, and walks are being planned in the coming months across the state.

Legislators are being invited to these, as well.