GREAT BARRINGTON — Brian Straniti waved an American flag on Tuesday with a wide grin as he watched his two bundled-up young children proudly hold their handmade signs, celebrating as passing cars honked in support.

"You've got to make some brightness in some dark times," Straniti said as he watched his kids confidently raise their signs.

Brian Straniti brought his two children, Ellis, 7, and Tilly, 5, to Tuesday's protest in Great Barrington. "We are here to support our loved ones, our neighbors and our entire community," he said.

It was the first protest for 5-year-old Tilly — and second for her 7-year-old brother Ellis — and she couldn't get enough of the honking in support. Seemingly unbothered by the cold, the pair bounced around from holding up their signs, completed with drawings and stickers, taking turns waving the flag and playing in the snow.

Before showing up, the family talked about why they were going to protest and each kid made their own sign. One "We don't trust Trump," and the other "Go away Trumpy-Wumpy."

Straniti said it's important to have the hard conversations with his kids to teach them early that it is important to use their privilege to support friends and neighbors.

"We are here to support our loved ones, our neighbors and our entire community, to get rid of ICE, to help out the immigrants and to get rid of the neo-fascist regime that is polluting our country," he said.

South County Resistance hosts a protest outside of the Great Barrington Town Hall on Tuesday, a year since President Donald Trump’s inauguration. "I feel that it is a great privilege to be a free American citizen, and I want to exercise my right to protest," said Claudia Gold.

The family was participating in one of the hundreds of "Free America Walkouts" that took place across the country on the anniversary of President Donald Trump's second inauguration, protesting against a wide variety of actions by the Trump administration.

Protesters also were stationed on the busy intersection of South and East/West Housatonic streets in Pittsfield on Tuesday afternoon.

In Great Barrington, around 200 people braved the cold to wave their signs on the sidewalk in front of Town Hall, decrying Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and Trump's calls to seize control of Greenland, and to support democracy. A majority of the signs expressed outrage at Trump and encouraged kindness and love to prevail.

Like many in attendance, Nima Rosepiper learned the power of protesting from growing up during the protests against the Vietnam War. Over the last year, she has been continuously shocked by the actions of the federal government and believes protesting is one way to encourage elected officials to take action.

"What is going on with my country?" she repeated multiple times.

Though this is Rosepiper's third protest over the last year, she was motivated to attend this one because of the current situation in Minnesota, where there has been a surge in ICE activities that has brought thousands of ICE agents into the city and ignited protests after the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer.

Standing outside with signs that describe why people are upset is an important step, Rosepiper said, to show those passing by that they aren't alone.

"I used to always expect other people to do it and this is something where other people doing it isn't enough," she said. "We all have to be the other, everybody else's other person doing it because this is just ridiculous."

South County Resistance hosts a protest outside of the Great Barrington Town Hall on Tuesday marking a year since President Donald Trump’s inauguration. "What is going on with my country?" asked protester Nima Rosepiper, over and over.

For Claudia Gold, participating on Tuesday came down to exercising her right to do so when she is upset by the way the government is treating ordinary people.

"I want to have my voice heard while I can still have my voice heard," she said, "and I feel that it is a great privilege to be a free American citizen, and I want to exercise my right to protest."

Groups like South County Resistance, which hosted the Great Barrington protest, have held several gatherings since the inauguration, but now that it's been a year, Gold said she is ready to regroup and think about how to move forward.

"We've spent so much energy in this state of shock and horror that I feel that the time has come to really focus on how we move forward to support people in this country in terms of affordability and health care in a way that really works for everyday people," Gold said.