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The 9-10 a.m. protest is set to roll near the sculpture of the bicyclist, across West Court Street from the main farmers market area.

The market and the protests are not affiliated. Both are set to continue Saturdays through October.

Organizers made the change to encourage voting in Aug. 11 and Nov. 3 elections and in the wake of President Trump’s war on Iran, rising consumer prices and what the protesters call continued stonewalling on full release of the Epstein files, among other issues.

“We want to reach more residents whose lives are affected by the president’s mismanagement of government services; his attacks on immigrants, education and diversity; and his continued undermining of trust in government through corruption and outright lies,” Town Hall Coalition co-president Christina Hall said in the release.

The protests are intended to be a message to members of Congress, including a check on executive powers when a president defies the law or is deemed unfit to serve, Hall noted.

Hall told the 69���� in a later interview that the goal of the protests is to keep the issues visible. She said that having the protest near the market makes it more visible to a captive audience of thousands of people shopping and meandering the downtown.

“Last summer at the farmer’s market site, we had some very meaningful conversations with people going to the market. Being able to talk to each other is crucial at this time,” protest organizer Edie Baran said.

Frank Schultz, another organizer, said that he’s had positive and negative experiences at the protests but he feels when people are face to face, they tend to have more civil conversations about politics and social issues.

He said that even within the various organizations that unite for local protests, not everyone agrees with each other, but that allows for healthy debate.

Schultz said the protests aren’t orchestrated in a way that would disrupt the farmers market.

“We aren’t marching through town square on Saturday,” he said. “We will be to the side, and be protesting, as is our right.”

The group says the protest at 10-11 a.m. Saturdays along Highway 14 near the Highway 26 intersection also will continue.

Rock County Indivisible and Town Hall Coalition also support the longtime Wednesday protest in front of Rep. Bryan Steil’s office on Main Street and the Friday protest in front of the post office on Milton Avenue. These will continue at their usual time, 4:30-5 p.m.

This report has information added that alters it from its initial form. The new information clarifies that protesters are not setting up on Saturdays in the same space that farm market vendors occupy at the riverfront town square; they intend to occupy adjacent space, but with an intention to be visible to people attending the market.