“Democrats are welcome here. No hate. No fear.” This was one of several chants heard March 28 during a ‘No Kings’ protest in front of the Polk County Courthouse in which nearly 60 people participated. Another chant was “We want healthcare, not warfare.”
The ‘No Kings’ movement is a grassroots, nonviolent U.S. protest campaign launched in June 2025 to oppose the policies and perceived authoritarian actions of the second Trump administration. It aims to fight perceived dictatorship through widespread, peaceful demonstrations, advocating for democracy and opposing perceived abuses of power.
“We want to let the Polk County community know that we’re here. This is not about Democrats or Republicans. This is about we need change,” Polk County Democratic Party Chairman Carolyn Bischoff said.
“We don’t want people hurting. We don’t want ICE in our community. We want the immigrants in our community to know that we care about them. And we definitely don’t want a war that Congress didn’t even approve,” Bischoff said.
“This was the first time a day of protest in Livingston was registered with the ‘No Kings’ organization, and people from all over Polk County found us, people who were here for the weekend from other cities found us, and people who had just arrived at Escapees from other states found us,” Richard Burr, president of the Democratic Club of Polk County, said.
“We felt happy to be among kindred spirits. We got a lot of support from people driving by. The friendly waves, thumbs up, and honks far outnumbered any expressions of disapproval,” Burr said.
“The ‘No Kings’ protest was supported by nearly 60 enthusiastic people who shared the common view that the Trump administration is destroying democracy and making American people’s lives harder, less healthy, and less secure,” Burr said.
“People from across the political spectrum – including registered Republicans – came together to express our anger at what the administration is doing and our love and concern for our neighbors and our country,” Burr said.
A core principle behind all ‘No Kings’ events is a commitment to nonviolent action. Participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values and to act lawfully at these events. For more information about ‘No Kings’ go to nokings.org.
