Photo by James Short.
In Montgomery County, rallies were held in a number of municipalities, including Lansdale, Harleysville, Norristown, Ambler, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Audobon, Hatboro and Abington
Thousands took to the streets across Montgomery County Saturday for another round of “No Kings” protests.
The protests were among over 3,000 rallies nationwide against President Donald Trump’s administration, in what is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization during Trump’s second term. The rallies condemn what organizers describe as the concentration of power in the executive branch and the erosion of democratic norms.
“The president is not a king. ‘No Kings’ is a nationwide day of defiance,” reads the “No Kings” website. “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism.”
In Montgomery County, rallies were held in a number of municipalities, including Lansdale, Harleysville, Norristown, Ambler, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Audobon, Hatboro and Abington. Across the county, protesters denounced Trump’s perceived autocratic behavior and policies on immigration, the economy and foreign affairs.
“The totally reckless wars in Iran, Venezuela,” said Peter at the Harleysville rally, who declined to give his last name. “We don’t run the world. We have problems here, and immigrants are not the cause. Everyone is human whether they come from here or not, and they deserve dignity and respect.”
“It’s an administration of cruelty,” said a Harleysville woman, who declined to give her name. “They’re very cruelly treating immigrants who work here, who pay taxes, who, before they were called ‘criminals’ and ‘illegals,’ were just our next-door neighbors. But he has been able to convince people differently. He just lies all the time.”
“A lot of people think, ‘He’s gonna help me,’” said Jack at the Lansdale rally, who declined to give his last name. “Donald Trump helps no one but Donald Trump. He entered the White House maybe a millionaire and now he’s a billionaire. How do you do that? The 1% is running the whole show, and the rest of us, forget it.”
By James Short
By James Short
By James Short
By James Short
By James Short
By James Short
Throughout the rallies, attendees hoisted creative signs, broke into spontaneous chants and erupted into cheers whenever a passing motorist honked in approval. Some rallygoers wore silly costumes and waved American flags to challenge their portrayal as violent and anti-American.
“It’s all peaceful. That’s a super important part of these protests,” said Harleysville organizer Joan Rosiak. “And it is patriotic. Nobody owns the flag.”
Saturday’s protests mark the third round of “No Kings” protests. The rallies in Montgomery County have steadily grown in size and number, said Rosiak.
“We’re getting more and more people every time, and the number of events that were set up in this area alone has doubled or tripled,” said Rosiak. “Word’s getting out, and frustration is increasing incredibly. You can’t even remember what the horror was from last week because it’s washed over by the new horror that this tyrant is putting on us this week.”
“They’re getting bigger and bigger. We’re absolutely building momentum,” added Harleysville volunteer Karen Lovett. “I think it’s only gonna get bigger. The more corruption that is in this regime, the more we’re gonna be out here.”
In addition to making their voices heard, protesters hoped to foster camaraderie among like-minded people, continue expanding their numbers and put pressure on elected officials to stand up to the Trump administration, with the ultimate goal of effecting change in the November midterm elections.
“I hope to get people out to vote in the midterms and change things by flipping Congress,” said Dennis McCall at the Lansdale rally.
“His sycophants are gonna be voted out. We talk with our votes,” said Rosiak, pointing to a stack of voter registration forms on her welcome table.
Rosiak added that the rallies have helped spur civic engagement, with many attendees writing letters to the editor, contacting their representatives, attending local government meetings and running for office.
“This isn’t just a one and done,” said Rosiak. “It’s bigger picture things.”
As the third round of “No Kings” protests wound down, rallygoers promised to return in the near future, determined to continue their fight for change.
“This is not right, and it’s time to make sure everyone knows that the majority of people do not want to follow everything President Trump wants to do,” said Bill Boyer at the Lansdale rally.
“A lot of people think they can’t do much on their own, but there’s so many people here and across the country. Everyone is a part of it,” said Peter. “Things are messed up. People are pissed, and we need to keep making noise.”
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