“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.” That’s what the “No Kings” protests website said the rallies are about.
Organizers of the “No Kings” demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events across the country, The Associated Press reported.
There was no official “No Kings” protest in D.C. However, nearly 1,000 people organized near Lafayette Park next to the White House, with many holding signs that said, “No to fascism,” WTOP’s Alan Etter reported from the scene.
“Fascism means the end of the rule of law. This is the lesson of Nazi Germany,” said Sunsara Taylor with Refuse Fascism. “This is the lesson around the world and throughout history. The most powerful moment we will ever have to defeat fascism is right now.”
Another protester Michelle Chi had a question for those serving in the military.
“Are you really OK with becoming the right hand of the fascist Trump even if he makes clear he does not believe the U.S. Constitution applies to him and issues executive orders to strip away basic constitutional rights?” Chi said.
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Another attendee from El Salvador brought up what happened with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador and was recently returned to the U.S.
“All he asked was to remove the plastic things so he could go and (hug) his little daughter,” he said through tears. “And I saw the little girl bringing the sandals so he wouldn’t be barefoot in jail,” the man said.
In Northwest D.C., DC Citizens told WTOP that it will hold a “pro-democracy picnic” at Fort Reno Park.
“Now is the moment for people to become civically engaged. June 14th is Flag Day. It is a day of celebration. It is not a day of celebration for Donald Trump,” Lee Ayres with DC Citizens told WTOP’s Dan Ronan on Wednesday.
Inside the Army festival and in front of military equipment, The Associated Press reported that there was a small group of people with the Group Code Pink, who chanted, “Peace not war” as they held bright pink banners.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 8th district, spoke at a “No Kings” rally in Philadelphia and had a message for Trump on his 79th birthday.
“President Donald Trump, happy 79th birthday. Sorry we couldn’t make it to your party, but we did pay for it. You are not our king and we are not your subjects. We will never be your subjects,” Raskin told the crowd.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, recommended “No Kings” events be canceled following the assassination of a Democratic lawmaker on Saturday.
WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.
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