RICHMOND — Thousands of Virginians are expected to attend “No Kings” protests Saturday to voice their opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump.
The No Kings Coalition, made up of advocacy organizations, labor unions and progressive groups, will hold rallies in more than 2,600 locations across the country. From Bristol to Newport News, Alexandria to Lynchburg, more than 60 events are scheduled across the Commonwealth.
Area residents will gather at the Williamsburg James City County Courthouse at noon. Scheduled speakers include Candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 71st District, Jessica Anderson; Candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 69th District, Mark Downey; Ty Hodges, candidate for the WJCC School Board; and Lisa Khanna, Candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, among others.
Leah Greenberg, cofounder and co-executive director of the Indivisible Project, slammed efforts to intimidate liberal and pro-democracy organizations.
“They are sending the National Guard into American cities. They are terrorizing our immigrant friends and neighbors with their secret police. They are prosecuting political opponents, and now, they are trying to smear millions of Americans who are coming out to protest so that they can justify a crackdown on peaceful dissent,” Greenberg outlined. “It is the classic authoritarian playbook: threaten, smear and lie. Scare people into submission.”
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the Speaker of the House of Representatives, dubbed the protests on Saturday as “Hate America” rallies. He claimed the events are for terrorists and so-called “Antifa” supporters and Marxists, whom he said do not stand for the foundational truths of the country.
Saturday’s events are a reprisal of No Kings protests that took place in mid-June to coincide with a military parade scheduled on President Trump’s birthday. At those events, as many as 5 million people protested, according to estimates from the Crowd Counting Consortium.
Naveed Shah, an Iraq War veteran and political director of the grassroots veterans organization Common Defense, said Americans are continuing a tradition of protest when they disagree with their government.
“Rallies are happening because people love America,” Shah contended. “They love their country. They want to see their country thrive. They want to see their fellow Americans thrive, and they are coming out to say that. In true American fashion, when we’re not happy with our government, we’re going to let them know. That’s what people are doing.”
Organizers of Saturday’s events are urging people to protest peacefully. Back in June, authorities said a man intentionally drove through No Kings protesters in the city of Culpeper. No serious injuries were reported.
