DeKALB – As many as 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Hopkins Park, 1403 Sycamore Road, to protest President Donald Trump and his administration Saturday as part of the second round of nationwide “No Kings” protests.
Protesters carried signs that said “No kings in America,” “America needs immigrants” and “clean up on aisle 47.” Flags were also waived around, including an American/Mexican mixed flag, Ukrainian flag and a Palestinian flag.
Chants such as “show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like” and “no kings or tyrants, the people won’t be silenced” were shouted.
The demonstration centered around restoring rights and government services, as well as general unrest regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Trump’s mobilization of National Guard troops to cities across the U.S. including Chicago.
A number of DeKalb organizations took part in organizing the demonstration, such as DeKalb County Democrats, Responsive Engagement Activating Civic Talent (REACT), 350Kishwaukee, Esparanza Latina, the DeKalb Area Rapid Response Team, the League of Women Voters, Emerging Issues, DeKalb Mutual Aid and DeKalb Migrant Aid.
Various speakers representing their organizations took the opportunity to speak on the purpose of the No Kings protests. A big topic mentioned in signs and by speakers was the recent ICE sightings in DeKalb and in Chicago.
“We have millions, not thousands, but millions of people, men, women and children that are choosing to stay at home and hiding right now. And that is a problem,” said DeKalb teacher and community organizer Veronica Martinez. “Not just immigrants, but Latinos of mixed status households that are not coming out because they are being persecuted because of the color of their skin, the accent in their voice, and the legacy that their family have built and we have to stop that.”
Despite increase in ICE activity and continued escalation of National Guard deployment, DeKalb residents remain committed to spreading their message.
“I think that we have more people here today than we did at our last No Kings,” said Chair of the DeKalb County Democratic Party Anna Wilhelmi. “It’s because we are building community. We are not okay with what’s happening. ICE and everything else is brutal and we’ve got to remember that we are the people. It is our house, not this administrationation’s. We pay the bills, we are in charge. We have the numbers.”
Wilhelmi said the demonstration was held partly to protest executive branch overreach, voicing concern that the current administration is steering the U.S. away from its core democratic principles.
“We’ve seen democracies fall; we are a young country. We came from a monarchy and we became independent from a monarchy, and we are not going back,” Wilhelmi said. “This particular administration thinks that that’s what they can do: just bring us back to this monarchy, this dictatorship, this one person in charge, and all of his little minions are going to be violent and force us all to comply. That is not going to happen.”
DeKalb resident Ethan Orsberg also expressed their concern, explaining the commitment to showcasing their voice as a community to counter the current administration.
“What Donald Trump is doing has been acting like a king, and he is not,” Orsberg said. “The message of today is that there’s more of us than them and that we are not happy with the way that this administration is running things, and we’re letting our voices be heard.”
Demonstrators included anyone concerned with the current state of democracy, regardless of their party.
“When it comes to No Kings, really, what it’s doing is aligning with our mission, which is to defend democracy and support voters,” said League of Women Voters board member Molly Trickey. “So whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, if you’re concerned about democracy at this point in time, No Kings is a movement that you belong to.”
DeKalb resident John Morton held up a sign that read “Republican against Trump.”
“At the very least, I would say that President Trump has all the signs of dementia. There’s no reason we couldn’t invoke the 25th Amendment and say he’s unfit for office,” Morton said.
Morton described himself as Republican in principle, but said he does not hold allegiance to any individual party or person.
“I just hit a tipping point at some point,” he said. “The idea that he’s sending the National Guard into states without the governors asking for it – all those things, they’re adding up. I can’t not say something.”
Morton said he hopes to inspire more Republicans to speak out against the administration.
“I think there are far more reasonable people who are against Donald Trump than people would have you believe, one way or the other,” he said. “I feel like a lot of us would get stuck in these echo chambers, and it’s hard to realize what’s actually going on. Part of the reason I made this sign was that I hope more moderate, right-leaning people have the courage to say ‘OK, I’ve had enough of this.’”
Wilhelmi emphasized the importance of taking action and attending demonstrations.
“Any small action is an action. Find your local groups and just do something. Be courageous because in this moment in history, the courageous will rise up,” Wilhelmi said. “If you do not take action, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and think that you’re powerless, so you have to exercise your power in order to keep it.”
