Shropshire Star

Oswestry woman chooses crafty way to get across her anti-Trump message

An anti-Trump protest is planned for a market town this week but forget marching and placards – think more cross-stitch and crochet.

Published

Gemma Manning-Bentley, who runs Gemmipop Designs in Oswestry, will host an evening of 'Craftivism' in a bid to promote solidarity and positivity, a new front in the resistance against President Donald Trump and his controversial policies.

His decision to stop people from several mainly Muslim countries entering the US has caused outrage.

Feminist, crafter and jewellery maker Gemma, aged 32, said the idea of the gentle protest is to channel any negative energy and feelings into something positive.

She said: "Over the past few months and more recently, I've been feeling pretty helpless by what's going on in the world. It's been a really frustrating and confusing time but one thing I have noticed is that many other people I know feel the same way, so that's what made me decide to organise the evening.

"It will be a chance for people to get together over tea and cake, while working on something, be it knitting a pussy hat, subversive cross-stitch, whatever people are working on and give it a bit of a protest theme.

"The aim really is for people not to feel isolated in their concerns and be brought together and focus on creating something positive. It's about turning the negativity into something good."

In the run-up to the event, Gemma has been creating badges and cross-stitch with anti-Trump messages, as well as messages of positivity and hope, with everything from 'Crafters against Trump' to 'Let Love Trump Hate' and 'Make Tea Not Walls'. The evening is taking place on Friday from 7pm.

It is free to attend the night but Gemma asks if those who do go along can spare what they can give, which will go towards a women's charity.

Gemma's studio, which she shares with her sister Hollie Manning of Pamper Treat Repeat, is on Willow Street in Oswestry, above BetFred and Vicious Pink tattoo studio. For further details, follow Gemma on Facebook by searching Gemmipop Designs.

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