Protesters marched from Grove Park to the Central Park Bandshell Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” movement, a coordinated, peaceful protest day calling for the rejection of authoritarianism and political corruption.
The event in Midland was one of more than 2,000 demonstrations held nationwide. It coincided with Flag Day, the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s birthday a date organizers say was chosen to contrast a multimillion-dollar military parade planned in Washington, D.C.
Gemini Quartz, a transgender woman and drag performer served as one of the rally’s emcees.
“No kings means we can’t stand for fascism,” Quartz said. “We have rights, and we need to stand up for them.”
Around 2,000 people gathered at Grove Park before marching 0.7 miles to the bandshell, according to event organizers. As they walked, chants of “No more kings!” echoed down the street. Many carried signs calling for the defense of civil rights, education, health care and democracy itself.
The atmosphere was vibrant and peaceful, almost concert-like, with music playing and drag emcees hyping up the crowd. Organizations like Women of Michigan Action Network (WOMAN) and Moms Demand Action set up tables with fliers and pins.
“There’s hope,” said Quartz. “We sit at home and think we’re not doing enough but just being here means something.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was one of several guest speakers at the protest to address the crowd.
The attorney general’s office has filed 18 lawsuits against the Trump administration and urged citizens to stand up for constitutional protections, citing the importance of protest in maintaining democracy.
“We can't be quiet,” she said. “We can't hide. We can't lay down. We have to stand up and be even stronger than we have ever been…we can do this, people, we can take back our country.”
Nessel encouraged people to continue putting pressure on Congress, Trump's cabinet and the people surrounding the administration. She described them as autocratic and at one point even suggested that Trump be impeached. Nessel said that Congress must be the check on power of the Trump administration.
“Their role is in maintaining our democracy, and we do that by standing up and being loud and making sure that in Washington DC can hear us all the way from Midland,” Nessel said.
Other speakers included Brandell Adams, chair of the Saginaw County Democratic Party, Jennifer Austin, chair of the Midland County Democratic Party and Michigan State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh who all echoed similar calls to action to the crowd.
Many attendees showed up for a variety of reasons. Some had never protested before and the No Kings protest was the first they had gone to.
People expressed their joy at how many people had shown up and were happy with the turnout. Beside the signs they were holding, they also wore clothing that expressed their defiance to the current administration, no matter how small, with one person wearing a “Gulf of Mexico shirt,” as their way of protesting.
Brian Haggerty, a veteran, held a handmade sign reading “Veterans Against Trump.”
“He doesn't care about the Constitution," Haggerty said. "He doesn't care about the underserved underprivileged citizens or our country. If anyone has any doubt how big of a scumbag he is, watch his Memorial Day address to the country. It's disgraceful.”
Pharmacist, Rebecca Nelson, emphasized how national politics has affected other people. She expressed concern about the CDC revising vaccine guidelines.
“I’ve personally vaccinated over a thousand folks,” Nelson said. “I’m tired of zipping up body bags and I’m tired of seeing sick kids in my emergency department.”
As people danced, hugged, and continued chanting “No more kings,” the sense of joy and defiance remained steady through the afternoon.
Many attendees expressed patriotism and love for their country; Bill Leahy was one of them.
“Everybody that's here loves this country,” he said. “People on the other side might say that we're anti American and we're radical leftists and all that. We're not. We're people that genuinely care about this country.”
Organizers say the demonstration were meant to send a unified message: that real power doesn’t come from tanks and parades; it comes from people standing together in the face of injustice.
The Trump administration has repeatedly defended its plans to reshape the federal government by eliminating what they say is waste, fraud and abuse. Last week, Trump told reporters at the White House he doesn't feel like a king and that getting legislation through Congress is a difficult process. "I have to go through hell to get things approved,” Trump said.
