Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

The No Kings 2.0 protests took place on October 18 in over 2,700 locations, and about 90,000 Washingtonians turned out for Seattle’s event, which included speakers like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, activist Tariq Ra’ouf, and Lavender Rights Project’s Jaelynn Scott. No Kings organizers said Saturday was “one of the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history,” and that approximately 7 million Americans showed up.

“Millions of people showed that we, the people, will not be silenced,” Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said. “We came together in community to do the most patriotic and American thing we can: exercising our First Amendment rights by peacefully and lawfully protesting President Trump’s abuses of power.”

Americans are pushing back against Trump’s authoritarian regime, and these No Kings protests are straightforward: America has no Kings. The first No Kings demonstrations took place in June, and at least 50,000 people in Seattle turned out.

Some have called the No Kings protests performative parades rather than protests, which are meant to cause disruption, but these mass events allow community members to engage in direct activism in an overarching safe environment due to the high turnout. No Kings creates opportunities for people to network and connect with local organizations and community members to grow local direct action, and being there with the same goal and ethics fosters community trust in one another.

Leftists on social media highlighted concerns ahead of No Kings 2.0 about organizers encouraging attendees to RSVP, requesting information like first and last names, email addresses, and zip codes in a growing and already dangerous surveillance state. Masked men in unmarked vehicles continue to kidnap people off the streets, and Trump has labeled Antifa (antifascists) as a domestic terrorist organization.

One way Seattleites and Portlanders have been protecting their identities at protests has been by wearing inflatable costumes, which were abundant at the No Kings 2.0 event at the Seattle Center. The smell of popcorn from a stand wafted through the air as people proudly hoisted up their handmade signs and held dance parties.

After several hours at the Seattle Center, thousands of attendees took to the streets for a march across the city. No Kings organizers are hosting a virtual event where people can “join movement leaders and fellow activists after the big day to come together, celebrate what we accomplished, and learn about what’s next,” on October 21 at 5 p.m. PST.

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