NO KINGS PROTEST 10-18-2025
Harsh and off-base criticism by Republican leaders of the pro-democracy protests backfired. The backlash against derogatory statements from Speaker Mike Johnson who slammed the No Kings protests as “hate America” rallies that would draw “the pro-Hamas wing” and “the antifa people.”
No Kings Protest – Madison, Wisconsin
As example of the backlash, the event organized by the West Bend Chapter of Indivisible, a national anti-Trump organization, exceeded its goal of 1000 and its previous large turnout of 900 on June 14 on the south side of the city. On Saturday, an estimated 1300 citizens gathered on the grounds of Washington County Courthouse to oppose the Trump track record.
That’s more than a 40% increase from June, roughly the same percentage increase as Indivisible has estimated for the 2700 demonstrations across all 50 states – 7 million protesters, up from 5 million at the rally last June.
Most importantly, the event in West Bend was without incident. “It was totally peaceful,” said a leader of the West Bend chapter of Indivisible, adding that both the Washington County sheriff’s deputies and the West Bend police officers were cooperative and “dedicated to the safety of the event.”
Non-violence has been a core tenet of Indivisible.
As all Americans know, the protestors have an inalienable constitutional right to free speech and to assemble.
Saturday’s protests against anti-democratic measures undertaken by the Trump Administration were democracy at its beautiful best.
It is, of course, hard to determine exactly how many Americans showed up Saturday to show how much they love the best version of America, but it certainly was an incredible showing of solidarity underlying what makes America great.
Speaker Johnson was clearly scared by the out-pouring of opposition. The GOP tried to discredit this markedly forceful show of patriotism by saying it was a top-down event organized by professional proponents.
It was anything but. The West Bend Chapter of Indivisible, for example, received only broad guidelines from the national organization. An organizing team of about 30 local citizens of all stripes planned and carried out the event.
Yes, a good number of local Democrats were part of the organizing efforts, but so were some Republicans turned off by the Trumpian chaos, and, most importantly, a strong showing of independents who are fleeing President Trump in droves.
Most of the organizers and attendees are ordinary Americans who believe in the founding principles that make America great. It isn’t American power, the American economy, or even the American military, or the American culture that make America great. They all contribute, but the heart of America is a set of ideas that honor democratic freedoms and the rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
What makes America great is its principles:
- The right to free speech, including the right to criticize the government without fear of indictment by a vengeful president.
- The right to assemble, as evident by Saturday’s protests.
- Freedom of religion, including sects honoring every kind spiritual belief.
- The right to start an enterprise or organization, for profit and nonprofit, without undue heavy hands from government.
- The privilege of voluntarily serving the country in its military and government, or not serve.
- The right to vote in free elections, untampered by political agenda.
- The right to benefit from a free press that can bring to light the best and worst sides of our society.
- The right to manage the health of our own bodies.
- The right to love and marry human beings of our own choice.
That partial list of privileges and rights showed up on the signs carried by protestors at the rallies. The bearers of the signs showed up in bright colors, pungent word and graphic images that they will not be intimidated by critics or other Americans currently in power.
About 20 in West Bend dressed in creature costumes to poke fun at the attacks that they are terrorists. Rzeszutek donned a cow costume.
What spooked Republicans in support of an authoritarian president is the certainty that every one of the protestors and their families and friends will go to the polls next year to throw out members of the current GOP regime. They will certainly cast their ballots for candidates who support the aforementioned rights and privileges.
A striking dimension of the rally was the sense of solidarity. Citizens who were depressed and feeling alone in their disgust of Trump’s attacks on historic rules and laws found support and camaraderie. They now know they are a part of an army that will be hard to defeat.
And that army keeps growing.
