‘No Kings’ Protest slated for Saturday across numerous towns and cities in the Spokane area; organizers hope turnout surpasses June event
The largest protest in American history is not a claim one can make lightly. But that’s exactly what many are saying this Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstration against authoritarianism will be.
So far, there are more than 2,500 protests aimed at the Trump administration slated to occur in sprawling suburbs, rural towns and large cities, according to the progressive nationwide organization known as Indivisible. Spokane, Chewelah, Colville, Kettle Falls, Pullman, Moscow, Sandpoint and Newport are all expected to join the lineup. The last “No Kings” protest on June 14 occurred in 1,800 locations around the country. At least 10,000 people flocked to downtown Spokane that day.
The “No Kings” protest in Spokane is occurring at B.A. Clark Park this Saturday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Further south of Spokane, the Pullman “No Kings” protest is expected to start at 11 a.m. and last until 1 p.m. at the Cougar Plaza. In Moscow, the event is supposed to go from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Ghormley Park. Coeur d’Alene has a protest expected between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Indivisible’s online website did not specify the exact location for the Coeur d’Alene protest.
For people who live north of Spokane, a protest is being held on the Chewelah Main Street from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. After that, another one is being held on the sidewalk outside the Walmart in Colville along Highway 395 from noon until 1:30 p.m. In Kettle Falls, a “No Kings” protest is slated to happen at the Happy Dell Park from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Mathew Johansen, the chair for the Colville branch of Indivisible, said they designed this staggered protest approach to “maximize visibility.” He said they try their best not to count the same people twice, though. Last June, they had 250 people attend the “No Kings” protest in Colville and 158 people in Kettle Falls. Johansen said he imagines they will repeat the same turnout this time, but he is guardedly optimistic that even more people will come out of the woodwork.
Jim Leighty, an activist and executive director for a nonprofit called Citizen Nine26, hopes that this weekend’s event dwarfs the previous “No Kings” protest.
Leighty said it is important for people to show up for two reasons. The first is because it is an opportunity for people to have their frustrations, grievances and opinions heard by others of like-mind. The other reason he pointed to was the therapeutic aspect of getting everyone together to demand change from the Trump administration.
“We feel like the current administration is going against the Constitution and taking away our freedoms and rights,” said Zoe Kirkpatrick, the public relations officer for Colville Indivisible. “We’re trying to stand up against authoritarianism.”
Kirkpatrick and Leighty both said there are a lot of misconceptions about what these protests actually look like. Kirkpatrick said that some of the media is attempting to portray the “No Kings” protest as an event filled with terrorists. In reality, she said, it is quite the opposite. Members of the Colville Indivisible group have taken peacekeeper and de-escalation training, and she said they remain fervently non-violent. They also are encouraged to wear yellow to signify unity and friendship.
Likewise, Leighty said he is not concerned about violence from protesters, or local law enforcement, but is cautious about federal intervention. Through conversations with the Spokane Police Department, he said that the police are very supportive of letting people have their voice and want to be there for the safety of protesters.
In the past couple of weeks, President Donald Trump has suggested possibly invoking the Insurrection Act that would allow him to deploy the U.S. military domestically to suppress rebellion or enforce the law.
Leighty said that the threat of this being invoked is an added risk for people to come out and have their voices heard. He believes that if the Insurrection Act is put into place, it would effectively kill the First Amendment. He believes the administration’s targeting of antifa, or anti-fascists, is absurd, as many protesters’ grandparents fought fascism for years during World War II.
“You know, I heard the Antifa headquarters is in the train station basement in Coeur d’Alene; there’s no train station in Coeur d’Alene,” he said.
Dan Lambert, an organizer for Indivisible Spokane, called the threat of the Insurrection Act a “bunch of hoo-hah” and said he has no reason to believe anything remotely like the Insurrection Act will happen.
Lambert sees the “No Kings” protest as an opportunity to stand up and help change the direction of the country. For him and other organizers, the safety of everyone involved is paramount. That’s why on Thursday he went with other organizers to B.A. Clark Park to go over the entire program planned for this weekend’s protest.
Whether it is voicing concerns about rural hospitals, saving Medicaid, supporting veterans, or anything else that might affect people’s everyday lives, Lambert is thrilled for the opportunity to listen to speakers, music and feel the presence of his community. And also, to have fun.
“Come on out and see all the people and all the colorful costumes,” Lambert said. “Listen to the music. Listen to the speakers. Exercise your First Amendment right, and be in the moment with a lot of people that are in this community, not only having a good time, but sending a very strong message: we want better. We want better.”
Johansen became chair of Colville Indivisible about four months ago, directly after the June “No Kings” protest. He said the reason he got involved with Indivisible was the same reason he joined the military.
“I was in the Air Force for 10 years, and I signed up to defend the Constitution,” Johansen said. “And now I’ve got a little boy, and I want to just kind of carry that on. I’m not in the military anymore, but I see this as a way to kind of stick to that oath and make sure that things turn out all right for him.”