Locals join 7 million nationwide for ‘No Kings’ protests

Photo: Speakers at SLC ‘No Kings’ protest

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — An estimated seven million Americans showed up throughout the country to protest the current administration’s actions. From the highway bridge rally at Kimball Junction to the protest in Kamas to sign-making at Jeremy Ranch to head to Salt Lake City’s event, people are motivated to do something.

For the Salt Lake City ‘NO KINGS’ protest at the Utah State Capitol, Utah citizens showed up from all walks of life and party affiliations to demand to be heard. Even though some people were apprehensive after the shooting at the march in June, the crowd grew by thousands during the course of the event. The organizers turned the planned march into a gathering and dance party at the State Capitol, and the vibe was love and peace and a return to the democratic republic and rule of law America was built on and fought hard to develop over the decades since then.

Speakers ranged from civil rights activists to US veterans

Speakers included civil rights activist Jeanetta Williams, the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year Finalist John Arthur, US Air Force veteran Adrian Rollins and the Director of the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club Franque Bains.

Jeanetta Williams spoke about hard won rights now in jeopardy. The Salt Lake Chapter of the NAACP was founded in 1919, just ten years after the parent organization, which is the oldest civil rights organization in the nation. Williams led the local chapter for over 30 years.

John Arthur, who as a proud Union Member, has been working on the proposition to repeal HB267, read a children’s book he wrote to help explain what everyone is going through in this current administration. Adrian Rollins told his story of when he realized that the war he was fighting was not a justified war and his transition to becoming an advocate for the working class. Franque Bains highlighted how this beautiful state is our home and how we should join to bring our ideas to life.

Patrick Lovell, whose grandfather fought against facists at the Battle of the Bulge towards the end of WWII, talked about his lifelong commitment to antifacism, and highlighted acts of the current administration and what needs to happen to change the path the US is on now.

‘We the People’ are called to talk to their representatives

This protest marks a turning point from protests to a movement. Signs such as “Be Good Trouble, Resist With Kindness” were already on display. The very diverse group helped each other, displaying kindness to each other at every step, jumping in with water when others collapsed from the heat in their costumes, cleaning up the walkways on their way back to their cars and talking to each other about each of their concerns. From grandparents to young voters, this protest reached from anti-ICE to seniors with signs “Cut Medicaid, Lose the Election”.

In the closing speech the crowd was told that they are now part of the Soul Force, a term Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. coined. The organizer referred to his quote “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” and encouraged the crowd to let peace be the motivating power. In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words: Power at its best is “love implementing justice” and “justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”

When the crowd dispersed, they walked down both sides of State Street, which looked like a march but was only due to the path leading to most of the parking and transportation to the State Capital.