Hitting the Streets With ‘No Kings Day’ Protesters
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of midtown in the rain on Saturday afternoon for “No Kings Day,” a nationwide action meant to detract from Trump’s big, gaudy, tank-filled military parade in celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary (which just so happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday). Shoulder to shoulder, people marched down Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park clapping and even dancing despite being drenched in the day’s downpour. Hundreds of American flags rippled throughout the crowd, waving furiously whenever a cheer broke out. Protesters stopped each other to compliment signs and outfits, oozing a sense of pride in their shared vision for a Trump-less America. “It feels great to see that so many people feel the way that we do,” David Van Taylor, a 62-year-old filmmaker, told me. “We’re not alone.”
In the week leading up to the event, anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests had broken out in cities across the country in response to migrants being arrested as they showed up to work or to immigration hearings, while Trump deployed the Marines and the National Guard to Los Angeles amid demonstrations against these deportations. Many “Fuck ICE” and “Abolish ICE” signs dotted the crowd on Saturday; several other protesters opted for simple “No King” signs or nodded to Trump’s tumultuous bromance with Elon Musk. A handful of protesters made unattractive papier-mâché miniatures of the president, toting them as accessories or turning them into hats. Another sign that caught my eye quoted Anne Frank: “Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night and day, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes.” The fear that the U.S. may be sliding into authoritarianism drove many protesters to turn out. “I feel slightly afraid, and that’s another reason I’m here,” one woman told me. “I do not want to be afraid to exercise my freedom and my privilege to be here on the streets.”
As the crowd marched to Madison Square Park, chants of “Fuck Donald Trump” and “No Mo’ Cuomo” broke out intermittently, while music from jazz bands and drum lines filled moments that might otherwise have been quiet. There seemed to be very few cops monitoring the protest, in stark contrast to recent pro-Palestine and anti-ICE protests in the city. Those law-enforcement officers who were present wore riot gear and bulletproof vests, roaming the side streets in small groups. The No Kings coalition’s website, which prompted attendees to RSVP for the protest via Eventbrite, did not list any demands; the purpose of the protest was essentially to flip Trump the metaphorical bird — “not watching history happen,” in their words, but “making it.” But the desperation of protesters to do something was palpable; for many, turning out to march in the rain made them feel useful in an increasingly uncertain political moment.
“I’m really wanting to support the people that have been in Los Angeles this week showing up. We need to show up. As a citizen, as a white woman, it feels very important to use whatever privilege you have at this moment.” — Diana English Kane, 55.
“Trump is horrible. ICE is horrible. It’s all evil. I don’t know how far we’re going to have to take it. Get rid of ICE. Fuck the NYPD. I don’t really know what we’re gonna do with them, but anything to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” — Hunter, 23 (right)
“The rule of law in America and democracy is under assault in every direction. What troubles me the most is that we have elected officials that are standing by and letting this happen. A handful of people can stop the madness of what’s happening: federalizing the military, rounding up immigrants that are trying to go through the legal process to be here, that are working. I’m tired of seeing billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, buy off elections. People that refuse to name this as authoritarianism or fascism, they’re not living in reality. My family came from Italy. They escaped fascism post–World War I, my grandfather and his two brothers fought in World War II, and they would be aliens. They would be deported if this was today. They fought fascism back then; it’s my responsibility to be a proponent for democracy and for people that may not have a voice. I call my representatives every single day on the Hill and in New York City. If my grandfather were alive, he would be ashamed of what’s taking place.” — Santino, 39, producer, and Audrey Hepburn, dog.
“Anything that’s for a good cause, I want to be a part of. My sticks are my voice today. I know that there needs to be a change.”— Sam, 28, drummer (right)
“We’re trying to save democracy and freedom, to have a country left for my grandchildren and to be able to vote in November. We’re supposedly a free country, and I’d like it to remain that way. We are supposedly allowed to demonstrate. I’m really just hoping, not to go back the way we were. Things were not perfect then, but certainly to have the freedom to speak out if I wish to, and to have a legacy left for my grandchildren.” — Barbara O’Keefe, 77, retired
“Seeing the backlash that these protests have had, and that people are still willing to show up and still willing to make their voices heard, gives me hope.” — Sonnie, 20, student (left)
“So many people are here, and so many people are using their voices in a way that is constructive and not detrimental to anybody. We’re all here to peacefully say what we want, and that’s what America was built on. I think that’s a beautiful thing.” — Oasis, 20, student (center)
“Trump is doing a horrible job in the White House, and we need to impeach him. He’s taking away all the benefits, all the rights of people, chasing illegal immigrants for nothing when they’re the backbone of the workforce. If he thinks Americans are gonna do it, he’s out of his mind. I want him to realize that nobody likes him.” — Patricia Parenti, 69, fashion stylist and blogger (right)
“Health care is under attack, Social Security. I’m bisexual, so gay rights, transgender rights, but also immigrants, and everything in the news internationally, too, brought me out today. Protesting does give me hope; it’s better than sitting at home and just feeling hopeless.” — Kaitlyn, 25, health-care worker (left)