Lewiston plans peaceful protest against gas prices

LEWISTON – A two-mile march to protest high gas prices is planned here Saturday.

“This is not meant to be a slam on local gas stations or gas distributors,” said Gary Church, one of the organizers of the event. “We need to put pressure on our government to start doing things.”

Organizers have obtained a special-events permit from the city, and Lewiston police will provide traffic control.

“I’ve had a couple people say this is a knock against free enterprise,” Church said. “I think it’s to preserve it.”

The Lewiston Chamber of Commerce supports the march and is sending e-mails to help publicize it.

The president and chief executive officer of the chamber, Keith Havens, said the march is meant to get the attention of state and national leaders.

“They need to keep working for a solution,” he said.

Church got the idea for the protest from Kaisha Hollenbeck, an eighth-grader at Sacajawea Junior High School. Hollenbeck has a student driver’s permit, but fears high gas prices will curtail her ability to drive.

As her own protest, the 14-year-old plans to ride her horse to class on Thursday, the last day of the school year.

“My generation is coming up,” Hollenbeck said. “I want to help my generation realize how severe this is.”

Hollenbeck said high gas prices have forced her family to cut back on trips for soccer, softball and rodeos. They’ve also cut back on school clothes and items such as Oreo cookies.

“I never thought I was going to have to worry about where I was going to shop and how many trips I’m going to make,” said her mother, Nicole Hollenbeck. “I’m just so proud of her. She thought big and kept communicating about it.”

The family business, Floral Artistry, has also been hurt by rising fuel prices, Nicole Hollenbeck said.

Organizers of Saturday’s march say it’s open to anyone who wants to participate in a peaceful display of frustration with politicians, oil companies and Wall Street.