In a spirited display of unity, large groups of individuals united across various locations in the United States last Saturday to express their disagreement with President Donald Trump. These demonstrations were neither limited to major cities nor confined to small townships, as vocalization of resistance against authoritarian rule intertwined with calls to uphold democratic safeguarding and immigrants’ rights. Leaders of the ‘No Kings’ protests have stated that several million individuals participated across numerous events. Governors across the states had previously appealed for peace, affirming the need for non-violence, and in some cases activated the National Guard in preparation for the potential increase in people gathering for these protests.
Despite these measures taken to ensure relative peace, there were sporadic confrontations. Police in areas like Los Angeles, where growing hostility towards federal immigration enforcement raids had triggered widespread protests a week before, had to resort to tear gas and other crowd-control measures to disperse protesters upon the conclusion of the official demonstration. In Portland, a similar scene unfolded, with law enforcement using tear gas and other forms of non-lethal force to disband crowds congregated in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building late into the evening.
Over in Salt Lake City, Utah, police have been tasked with investigating a shooting that occurred during a downtown protest, which critically wounded an individual. Three individuals were apprehended as a result, with one of them, believed to be the shooter, also suffering from a gunshot wound. Preliminary investigations are not yet confirming whether the shooting was politically driven or if those involved had previous knowledge of each other. Video evidence revealed the alleged shooter walking amidst the thousands of marchers just as gunfire was heard, sending people scurrying for safety.
Nationwide, expressions of resistance and solidarity took today’s form of marching, dancing, drumming, and chanting as people crowded together in cities such as New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles, some under signs declaring ‘no kings’. In Atlanta, the public gathering attracted an overflowing crowd which dramatically surpassed the 5,000-person capacity allocated for the demonstration in front of the state Capitol. Similar remarkable turnouts were noted in Seattle, where it was estimated that the city’s large-scale downtown protest involved more than 70,000 individuals.
The fervor was palpable in Washington as well, where President Trump was to commemorate the Army’s 250th anniversary through a military parade that also coincided with his birthday. Around 200 individuals gathered in northwestern Washington’s Logan Circle and voiced their collective demand for his departure, soon punctuated with cheers. A theatrical representation of the President, depicted as a puppet seated on a golden toilet and donned in a crown, was paraded around.
The widespread protests were certainly diverse in nature. While some organizers distributed mini American flags, others displayed their flags upside down, symbolizing national distress. Some demonstrations displayed Mexican flags, significant of the recent protest actions against immigration raids particularly in Los Angeles. These flags manifested as part of the protesters’ tools of expression.
Unfortunately, not all were peaceful. In Culpepper, Virginia, police reported an incident of a man intentionally driving an SUV into a company of protesters as they were departing from a rally. The driver was subsequently apprehended and charged with reckless driving.
Saturday’s protests were a continuation of the widespread discontent sparked by the federal immigration enforcement raids initiated last week. The situation was further exacerbated when President Trump commanded the deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where protesters responded by obstructing a freeway and igniting several automobiles.
Regardless of party allegiance or geographical dispersion, Americans displayed unparalleled unity and peaceful resistance against perceived autocracy. The No Kings Coalition, upon witnessing the conclusion of many related events, released a statement affirming the strength of the American peoples’ stand against oppression.
Demonstrations were also vibrant in downtown Philadelphia, where attendees were given small American flags and carried protest signs with powerful messages like ‘fight oligarchy’ and ‘deport the mini-Mussolinis’. There was even a woman wearing a foam crown reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty who led a group in an anti-Trump song, replacing the words ‘young man’ in the Village People’s ‘Y.M.C.A.’ with ‘con man’.
Among those in attendance was C.C. Téllez, an immigrant from Bolivia who was proud to be a part of the protest. Téllez, who considers herself a successful product of the American dream, expressed how her prosperity in the United States was not only beneficial for herself but also substantial towards her community’s development. Sharing her belief, she confidently asserted that if there’s room for her, there’s room for everyone else as well.
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