MONTCLAIR – Activism is the norm in the “People’s Republic of Montclair,” but Democrats and liberal-leaning groups are not usually the targets.

They were today.

A bit more than 100 people – many with their children – amassed in Rand Park to demand that public schools open for in-person learning. Signs blamed both Gov. Phil Murphy and the teachers’ union for keeping them closed. One protestor said the rally was meant to keep the pressure on the school district.

People needed no reminder that local schools shut in-person instruction precisely a year ago when the pandemic came upon us.

As one sign put it, in Montclair, “It’s always 3-2020.”

Danielle Wildstein, of Scotch Plains, spoke of going to court to force her district to open its classrooms. She now spends time helping other districts do the same.

She said many states with COVID data similar to New Jersey’s have totally opened schools, so why can’t that happen here? She spoke of one day last March when students “left school and never came back.”

Other speakers said there are many problems with remote learning. They include lack of socialization, boredom, depression and sometimes the technology itself.

One parent said her son simply finds learning through a computer very difficult.

A sign made the same point. It read, “Home school makes me drool.”

How to handle schools has been a hot-button issue since the pandemic began.

In a tribute to the state’s tradition of home rule, Murphy essentially has left things to individual school districts. And most school districts in the state are either open full-time, or at least a few days a week.

By that measuring stick, Montclair is an exception.

In some locales, the teachers’ union has balked at returning full-time to the classroom. But now that teachers are eligible for the COVID vaccine – a recent development – that can change.

Many at today’s protest weren’t in the mood to wait. They said they want the governor to order that schools reopen by April 1. And no, that’s not a joke.

One parent talked about Montclair’s reputation as a diverse, progressive and fashionable community. However, she said keeping schools closed for in-person learning is hurting that reputation.

Ouch.