Yesterday was the third NO KINGS protest, and at the Indiana Statehouse, turnout was huge. I don’t know how attendance will be calculated– this one went from noon to five, and people were constantly coming and going. While we were there, the crowd was huge and the signs were great (albeit tending toward the profane…). As we walked back to our apartment around 2:00 (we’re old, and we were with my oldest son who had major surgery ten days ago but insisted on going) we passed dozens of people with signs who were just heading to the protest.
The size of the crowd was especially gratifying since–unlike previous No Kings events–there were several others in and around Indianapolis that I’d assumed would peel off suburban folks who didn’t want to try to park downtown. Even more amazing, there were sixty protests in Indiana, several in very small and traditionally Red communities.
Nay-sayers pooh-pooh such protests and deny their utility. But just before yesterday’s No Kings rallies, my friend Phil Gulley–a Quaker pastor– posted a rebuttal on his Substack, Plain Speech, listing seven reasons why he finds such participation important and meaningful, and he has allowed me to share them.
Phil wrote:
- I protest to remind myself that I am moral human being. I will not remain silent when vulnerable people are targeted and harmed by powerful and unprincipled elites. Tyranny disgusts me, so when I see it, I will speak up. Silence and indifference are not options for moral human beings.
2. I protest to remind myself that I am not alone. Because I live in a red state, it is easy to think I am alone in my disgust for the Trump regime. Standing in solidarity with my fellow Hoosiers reminds me I am not a lone voice in the wilderness. Tens of thousands of Hoosiers of every age and station stand with me. I may drive to the protest feeling powerless and disheartened, but I drive home feeling empowered and encouraged.
3. I protest so Donald Trump and those who cheer him on will know there is a different America than the one they inhabit. What they do is not American. It is not patriotic. It is not clever, nor is it just. It is cruel, juvenile, and reprehensible, and merits our full-throated rejection.
4. I protest for the same reason I vote and pay taxes, to remind myself that democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires something of us. What it demands of us in this moment is our dedication to the Constitution, which is daily being degraded by Trump and his collaborators. There are no bleachers in a democracy. It requires our full participation to thrive—our time, our attention, our money. Democracy isn’t a cheap bauble; it is a costly jewel.
5. I protest so my children and grandchildren will know I served when my country needed me. I am a pacifist, so will not kill on behalf of my nation. But I am also a patriot, so will resist, with every fiber of my being, any genuine threat to our nation, foreign or domestic. I will not leave it to Donald Trump or Steven Miller to name those threats, given their tendency to “other-ize” those who don’t look like them, believe like them, or talk like them. I have a brain. I know who poses a threat to our nation, and who does not. I will come to my country’s aid against authentic threats, not fictitious ones.
You and Phil Gulley are terrific people. Thank you, both, and countless others who messaged the same way.
The CPAC straw vote for JD Vance as their next presidential candidate, while not showing good sense, does show a widening of a major crack in the MAGAs. Trump seems to be pushing them beyond their ability to maintain full support behind him but how in hell do we just pull out of the war in Iran he declared and stop his insatiable need to takeover another country? This situation goes deeper than anything else never before in our history that Trump has accomplished in this fourteen MONTH presidential term.
With love of money being the root of all evil…could his Executive Order for his name to be on our money be the MAGA final straw? Lesser reasoning has changed history in the past. The vast numbers from yesterday and the gathering of groups on No Kings Day protesting Trump are “Why Yesterday Mattered…”; but will Congress read the results for why it matters in time to stop SAVE and open the November polls to all voters?
JoAnn, maybe there will be a Burn-His-Money day. After all, his scrawl will only be on $1 bills.
I can only echo Dennis Southerland above. Thank you, and the 8 million who showed up.
Wonderfully written and expressed. We all (especially those who claim Christ) cannot stand idly by and not get involved. I am reminded that even Jesus overturned tables when he encountered injustice and wrongdoing. Regardless of our spiritual station in life, may we follow his guidance and example. Thank you, Sheila!
The No Kings Rally 3.0 is a good start. I hope it is followed up by organizing and real strategy to (1) Get Out the Vote and (2) a governing strategy for dealing with all the damage that has been wrought by MAGA and Project 2025.
Regarding the $1 bill bearing the signature, I think it would be a good idea to take a sharpie and redact that signature on every dollar bill that comes to you.
As for the $1 bill, according to the court, random doodles don’t count as defacing money. It would be a shame if everyone randomly doodled the word “FELON” over the word “President” with a fine point sharpie.
One does not have to be a Christian to realize that Trump is the closest thing to the fabled Anti-Christ we will ever see. He is more than juvenile, and pouts like a 3 year old.
Pastor Gulley, and you, Sheila, put it together marvelously!
I’m in a red state also, Florididia, and the outpouring of people at yesterday’s event was greater than it was at either of the others.
I think what is hurting the “No Kings Rally” is the need to sign up. I don’t want anybody counting me or gathering my data. Young people will go, but they will not give up their data.
As for profanity, I’ve been telling people to show their hostility. We might be old, but we don’t have to be polite to these bastards any longer. Where are those shirts with the middle fingers? Sadly, too many Americans were given the choice between college basketball and protesting idiots.
Once Trump realizes the med-terms are not going in their favor, they will be doing whatever they can to stop voters from coming out in May and November. We need to give them a MIDDLE FINGER and to HELL with the high road.
I am seeing way too many insider trades in commodities…they need to be jailed immediately during the investigation.
Todd, you don’t have to sign up to attend a No Kings event. When we learned that there was going to be one in Zionsville, my husband and I just went, joining more than 200 others to wave signs, chant, wave at the cars passing by (whether the drivers were honking in support or giving us the finger).
Sheila, thanks for sharing Pastor Gulley’s list—it’s why we show up.
One more week to be sure you are registered to vote, to update your registration if you have moved, to register if you haven’t done so, and to encourage others to vote.
3 of us went to the march in Martinsville yesterday (you read that correctly) where 103 people showed up and over 45 cars honked in solidarity. We then went to Plainfield where the protest was 3 blocks long ( possibly 350+ ). We also learned that there are finally blue contenders for some seats in the May primary. It was “hopeful” to see protesters BUT they have to show up in May & November. Plus I really like Phil Gulley.
Yesterday was my third No Kings rally. I’m compelled to go because as I have said before, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, at least six times. It’s a part of who I am. My oath didn’t expire because I retired.
The crowd was mixed young, old, Latino, black, white, Asian. The people were upbeat and generally having a good time. This is bright red southwest Florida, so there were many passersby who yelled obscenities. Too many protesters let it get to them and tried to engage. (Note that many protesters had signs suggesting the same obscenity for Orange Jesus). I recommend that the best response is to yell, “Thank you!” and. smile and wave. My experience as a Patient Advocate at the VA Medical Center in Indy informs my advice.
VOTE!
I’m disappointed there were only 350 in Plainfield and Martinsville. We had at least 325 in our little very red Nashville!
Todd – There is no requirement to ‘sign up’ for any protest, NK or otherwise. Sure, they *want* people to sign up to try to get counts, but as one who has been to all NK and many others in the past 14 months, I have never signed up, nor do I know anyone who has.
Imho, the bigger problem in terms of gaining support on the right (to whatever extent that is possible) is the No Kings moniker. It’s a turn off. Made sense for NK1, but now just meaningless fodder for the naysayer idiots, who cannot or refuse to grasp the overall intent of the wording. “So, guess your stupid protest was successful, since we don’t have a king.” etc. Utterly vapid keyboard warriors who have nothing better to do than make fun of others, kinda like der leader. It’s epidemic. Anyway… I was there, and will be there for the next one, and roadside protests, and working early voting, etc. No bleachers for me.