Thousands Turn Out Locally to Demonstrate in No Kings Day of Peaceful Action, While Nationwide. 7 million People Rallied Peacefully
Bainbridge Island was of more than 2,700 cities and towns nationwide that participated in one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history. According to the web site, NoKings.org, nearly seven million Americans gathered together Saturday – some 2 million more than the first event in June -to take part in the No Kings Day of Peaceful Action, “standing together in nonviolent defiance of authoritarianism and affirming that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings,” said backers of the event.
With more than 2,700 lawful and peaceful protests across all 50 states, Saturday’s mobilization was 14 times larger than both of President Trump’s presidential inaugurations combined, marking a historic moment of unity and resistance, backers noted. “From rural communities to major metropolitan centers, the message was clear: America will not be ruled by fear, force, or one man’s power grab.”
Said Stephen Hubbard, one of the organizers of the Indivisible Bainbridge rally, “the most important thing about rallies like this is that we let people see that we’re not alone in these tough times. The real enemies are cynicism and despair, and the antidotes are hope and determination. Feeling part of a bigger movement is awesome and it’s the cure for hopelessness. They want us to feel helpless and this kind of mass gathering proves were not.”
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Hubbard estimated that more 2,000 people participated in the No Kings Day rally Saturday on Bainbridge, with many toting signs and others dressed up in hilarious costumes. Down Highway 305 in Poulsbo, backers of the Norwegian ‘burbs No Kings Day event figured they attracted nearly 3,000 people, according to a Facebook post. Other Kitsap events were held in Kingston and Bremerton.
While the Republican-led government shutdown continues to wreak havoc, forcing hundreds of thousands of families to go without pay and cutting off critical services, the people they represent are stepping up to lead, No Kings participants argue. Across districts, neighbors are organizing, marching, and demanding a government that serves the many, not the powerful few.
“Our work continues in big cities and small towns around this country, and we will not back down to President Trump’s continued abuse of power,” said Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, co-founders of Indivisible, the organizing group behind the nationwide No Kings rallies. “There will be regular opportunities in the coming days and weeks to take action with No Kings and we will be regularly sharing community rights resources.
Republican leaders in Congress called the No Kings protests a “Hate America Rally,” suggesting it was terrorist driven. GOP Leaders Call ‘No Kings’ Protest A ‘Hate America’ Rally, Baselessly Suggest Terror Link | HuffPost Latest News. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt went so far as to call demonstrators “Hamas Terrorists.”
“Authoritarians want us to believe resistance is futile, but every person who turned out (Saturday) proved the opposite,” Levin and Greenberg said. “This movement isn’t about a single protest; it’s about a growing chorus of Americans who refuse to be ruled. Trump may want a crown, but in this country, there are no kings.”
“The millions of people protesting are centered around a fierce love for our country. A country that we believe is worth fighting for,” added MoveOn Executive Director Katie Bethell. “Across cities and towns, large and small, rural and suburban, in red areas and in blue areas millions of us are peacefully coming together for No Kings to send a clear and unmistakable message: the power belongs to the people.”
“(On Saturday), millions of people showed that we, the people, will not be silenced,” said Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “We came together in community to do the most patriotic and American thing we can: exercising our First Amendment rights by peacefully and lawfully protesting President Trump’s abuses of power. We’ll continue to channel the courage of (Saturday’s) protests to keep showing up for our communities — and the ACLU will do everything in our power to defend our freedom of speech, press, and assembly. Despite the Trump administration’s threats, no president can take this cornerstone of our democracy away from us.”
“The Founders were not perfect, but they had one abiding principle: We as a nation should never, ever again be ruled by a tyrant or king,” noted American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “This is not who we are and it’s not what we want from our government. We want a president who will keep healthcare premiums from skyrocketing, bring down the cost of groceries and housing, strengthen public schools, make college affordable, and embrace workers’ rights. We want the president to spend his time solving our problems, not settling scores with his political opponents. We want a future based upon the rule of law and fair treatment — not chaos, corruption and cruelty.”
“The way We the People protect our democracy and defeat Trump’s authoritarianism is by coming together in large numbers to exercise our democratic rights vigorously. And with the No Kings protests and beyond, that’s exactly what we’re doing– exercising our freedoms and defending our democracy against Trump’s despotism,” added Robert Weissman, Co-President of Public Citizen. “Since the first No Kings Day in June, Trump has intensified his autocratic clampdown, but so too is institutional and mass resistance rising. We’re seeing that with successful litigation, the return of Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves, a Republican governor speaking out against the national guard deployments, airports rejecting politicized content, universities rebuffing Trump’s racist and oppressive compact and more. (Saturday) millions and millions of Americans joined together in solidarity and love building power and momentum to defeat Trump’s authoritarianism. once and for all.”
“They’re deploying troops into American cities like it’s a war zone. Peaceful protest is being wrongly criminalized,” further noted Naveed Shah, US Army veteran and Political Director, Common Defense. “They’re smearing veterans, teachers, and everyday Americans who dare to speak out—just so they can justify a ‘crackdown.’ As veterans who have deployed across the world, we’ve seen this playbook before. Authoritarians don’t want debate; they want obedience and nothing more from us. But veterans like me and the 480,000 veterans representing Common Defense didn’t swear an oath to a king. We swore to the Constitution. And we’re standing up now to say loud and clear: there are no kings in America, and we will not be ruled by fear.”
“(On Saturday), SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members and unions across the country exercised our First Amendment right to show what real power looks like,” said Joseph Bryant, Executive Vice President, 32BJ SEIU. “From care workers to janitors to educators, millions filled the streets to reject the lawlessness of this administration. We demand that our healthcare be protected and not robbed for billionaire tax breaks. We demand an end to cruel ICE raids and militarized takeovers of our cities that make no one safer. And we demand that federal workers who serve our communities be reinstated. When working people move together, we can defend democracy and build a future where every one of us can thrive.”
“Throughout our history, America has dreamed of, fought for, and yearned after freedom – freedom afforded to all people. But it’s clear that our most fundamental value is of no interest to Donald Trump,” said Kelley Robinson, president, Human Rights Campaign. “Since taking office, he has assaulted our freedoms and tried to amass power for himself, censoring history, undermining our voting rights, defying the rule of law, weaponizing the military against our communities, and stripping people of basic rights simply because of who they are or who they love. LGBTQ+ people are a part of the fabric of every community that has come under siege from this administration, and that’s why LGBTQ+ people were peacefully in the streets this weekend to make their voices heard. Millions of people came together to make clear: this country does not and will never have a king. The power of the people is and will continue to be greater than the man obsessed with keeping power for himself.”
“On October 18th, millions of people gathered for one of the biggest demonstrations in American history,” said Logan Keith, Veteran and Spokesperson for the 50501 Movement. “We declared over 250 years ago that America is not beholden to any tyrant. In fact, standing up and fighting against tyranny is the most patriotic act one can take. We Americans have a proud tradition of standing up against bullies, against dictators, against kings. Right now in Washington D.C., Mike Johnson, Stephen Miller, and Donald Trump are holding what can only be called the real ’Hate America Rally.’ As they slash funding for students with special needs, unleash armed troops to intimidate and attack our own citizens, and strip healthcare from millions to enrich their billionaire friends — they show us exactly what hating America looks like. So once again, we the people stand together to declare with one unified voice, America has no kings.”
“Today, millions of people across the country once again peacefully gathered to celebrate and defend our democracy, protect each other and our communities, and say enough to the Trump administration’s abuse of power,” said League of Conservation Voters President Pete Maysmith. “Just as Trump continues to threaten our fundamental democratic freedoms, he threatens the health, safety and prosperity of our communities as he and extreme Congressional Republicans make life dirtier and more expensive for everyone by banning cheaper, faster, and cleaner wind and solar power. We will continue the fight against authoritarian actions and stand with the people to say No Kings.”
Added Bainbridge’s Hubbard, “Down the road I expect that we will see an emphasis on using our economic power to resist Trumpism. The experience with Disney and Jimmy Kimmel (Disney owns the ABC Network that initially suspended the late-night host for comments he made about the late Charlie Kirk, then reinstated him) showed how effective economic power can be in the right circumstance. … It’s going to be a long haul, but seeing the massive turnout for No Kings 2 tells me that there’s way more of us than there are of them and we will prevail. Eventually, there will be a tipping point, and it will look like was inevitable, but until then we need to stay focused and positive and remember that we’re on the right side of history.”
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Information gleaned from NoKings.org.,the Huffington Post, and our own reporting. Photos courtesy of Indivisible Bainbridge and Kevin Dwyer The Island Wanderer neither supports nor opposes the No Kings rallies, but is merely reporting what is happening.
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