Democracy, freedom from tyranny at top of protesters' list of concerns at No Kings Rally
Issues included concerns about due process for immigrants; the use of the national guard; defiance of court orders; using what is meant to be an independent Justice Department to land indictments against political foes
BJ showed up bearing a Freedom Means Fighting Fascism sign. Attached was a photo of her father, Otis, a bomber pilot who spent 27 months in a POW camp after being shot down over the North Sea in World War 2.
“He fought the Nazis,” she said. “When he came home, he had three kids. I shouldn’t be out here having to fight them again. And I truly believe this regime is Nazis.”
BJ was one of an estimated more than 3,000 protesters on hand in downtown Appleton Saturday afternoon for the No Kings Rally, part of a nationwide protest against President Donald Trump. The estimate across the nation was 7.5 million.
The Appleton total easily eclipsed the Hands Off Rally in April when the 2,500 who turned out was also an Appleton record. The protest began in Houdini Plaza and the crowds began lining College Avenue well in advance of the scheduled 11 a.m. start. By the time it officially kicked off there was a near constant blare of horns as people drove by registering their affinity with the protestors.
By 12:15 the crowds – often three and four deep along the sidewalk – stretched from near the Paper Valley Hotel to the west all the way past Morrison Street to the east. All four corners of College and Appleton were thick enough with protestors that movement through the crowds was difficult.
No incidents were reported.
Melissa Miotke of Appleton Area NOW, Emily Tseffos, Chair of the Democratic Party of Outagamie County, and Tanner Ziebell of Hate Free Outagamie spoke at Houdini during the event.
Signs ran the gamut from health care to reproductive rights to freedom to economic inequality. The largest number of signs, though, addressed the rally theme: concerns about the constitutionality of Trump’s actions, whether it be due process for immigrants; unsolicited national guard presence in cities; defiance of court orders; the rescission of previously allocated government spending by past Congressional legislation; using what is meant to be an independent Justice Department to land indictments against political foes; or a host of other things.
"It was incredible to see such a large turnout in Appleton, and the energy was so positive, so electric," Tseffos said. "We are so proud to be a part of this community and are more dedicated than ever to continuing to work locally to support our neighbors and hold our elected officials accountable at every level.
"Appleton showed up to say that there are no kings in America - it would do President Trump well to heed the message that was sent from millions across this country today."
One protester, Jaden, said she showed up for her rights.
“I’m here because our rights are fragile and we should protect them,” a protester named Jaden said. “It’s our right to be here and to protest and speak out because we have a voice. I don’t want to die on the wrong side of history.”
Asked what she would say to President Trump if she had the chance, she said, “I don’t even know if I would give the man my time cuz he wouldn’t listen. He’s just a bully.”
Penny was angry that her granddaughters had fewer rights than she had.
“I protested when I was a teenager,” she said. “And now I’m in my seventies and I’m here again. But that’s okay. I’ll do it til the day I die. Because humanity and human rights and freedom of speech and the Constitution need to be protected. I got complacent in my thirties and forties and I’m not complacent anymore.”
Below hear a bit of audio from College Avenue
Emily, a teacher with a partner who’s a nurse, was attending her first protest, primarily over the issue of health care and education.
“I want the population to be healthy and I want the population to be educated,” she said. “So I’m fired up. Some people may say this may not do anything but it’s better than doing nothing, right? If we’re all completely passive, then what? It’s already a slippery slope but if we don’t do this, it’ll be even slicker.
Asked to speak to an imaginary Donald Trump, Emily said simply, “Good-bye. We can’t wait til it’s over.”
Tony was another protester worried about our democracy. For her, like BJ, it was personal. Her father fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War 2.
“He did that to protect our democracy, our rights, our freedoms,” she said. “And fascism is just the antithesis of that. We all need to stick together. There’s more of us than there are the rich billionaires.”
Tony said she hoped to take a sense of community connection and encouragement from the rally.
Lynn was there because she was scared about the lack of guardrails on the Trump presidency.
“I have four grandsons and I don’t want them to say, Grandma, what did you do to stop them,” she said. “And the worst answer would be nothing. I’m afraid there’s nothing out there that will stop (Trump) except us.”
A quartet of Trump supporters flying a huge banner had set up early to get a prime spot on College Ave just right in front of Houdini Plaza. Dan said he agreed with the protesters that we shouldn’t have kings but said Trump wasn’t one. He called the protesters' concerns “dumbfounded.” Asked about some of the federal judges’ rulings against the constitutionality of some of Trump’s actions, Dan pushed back.
“I don’t feel judges should have the right to rule in this country,” he said. “We elected a president and we are one nation under God, indivisible, you know?”
Dan said he assumed Trump’s lawyers would know if something was unconstitutional and wouldn’t let him do it in the first place.
“I don’t think these judges should even be protesting against that stuff,” Dan said. “They should be doing their job and that’s advocating the law and doing the law and protecting us citizens.”
