Protest and Petitions

The driving force in the SCAR road fight was the citizens of southeast Baltimore. They relied on town hall meetings and protests to voice their opinion. The SCAR collection is replete with examples of petitions to the Interstate Commission for Baltimore City. The community organizations pleaded with Richard Trainor, then director of the Interstate Commission. The desperation for results led to public hearings on the issue. Thomas Ward, of the Mount Royal Democratic club, recalled that the volume of protesters often caused these meetings to last up to four hours. These continued protests formed the foundation of the community's voice in the road fight.