No Kings peaceful demonstrations caught the attention of main stream media because of the joy, humor and comaraderie
Humor, patriotism of ‘No Kings’ protests are cause for celebration | Baltimore Sun editorial echo
We’re guessing that more than a few Baltimoreans were secretly dreading Saturday’s double-billed day of a “No Kings” protest happening simultaneously with the 25th annual Baltimore Running Festival. Would it produce chaos, anger, riots in the streets (a proverbial marathon of antagonism)❓ And those concerns surely extended to thousands of locations across the country from New York to Los Angeles that, while perhaps not hosting 26-mile runs, might well be concerned about protests becoming violent.
The result❓ “No Kings” with its millions of participants, possibly the largest protest ever staged against a sitting U.S. president, turned out to be peaceful, humor-tinged (and more about that in a moment) and patriotic. Organizers deserve kudos here. At a time when emotions are running high, participants seem to take their cues from the upcoming Halloween celebration dressing up not only as Donald Trump, but often as cartoon characters in order to dance in the street. The humorous vibe was a more-than-welcome breath of fresh air.
As Exhibit A, we would simply point to social studies teacher Andy Vernor who dressed as a dime-store Uncle Sam to oppose the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in cities. “JUST SAY NO 2 MARTIAL LAW!” Vernor’s sign suggested. But how much more effective was that message coming from a man wearing a floppy top hat and a sparkly red, white and blue vest as he carried it around Patterson Park❓ A favorite cheer for runners navigating city streets❓ “Run like Trump’s behind you.”😊😂
That tone proved remarkably consistent across the country. Over and over, the atmosphere was more like that of a concert or street festival than an angry mob. Yes, the point was to underscore the president’s alarming authoritarian tendencies but this was no call for violence. It was more like some kind of mutual support society — Americans gathered, in part, simply to reassure each other that, no, it’s not normal for a president to dispatch National Guard troops into cities not in the middle of a crisis or to use his post for personal financial gain or to seek criminal indictment of his critics and on and on.
Did Trump notice❓ It’s telling that prior to the event he predicted a low turnout. His allies called them “Hate America” rallies. With crowds collectively estimated at 7 million or more and patriotism and good will in such abundance, he changed his tune, first telling a reporter “Who cares?” when asked about the rallies and later posting online a video of himself wearing a crown. In Trump’s world, such a sharp turn suggests he got the message.
Such is the power of peaceful protest.
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| No Kings rally against Donald Trump in Baltimore’s Patterson Park on a Saturday in June. File photo Baltimore Sun newspaper |
We’re guessing that more than a few Baltimoreans were secretly dreading Saturday’s double-billed day of a “No Kings” protest happening simultaneously with the 25th annual Baltimore Running Festival. Would it produce chaos, anger, riots in the streets (a proverbial marathon of antagonism)❓ And those concerns surely extended to thousands of locations across the country from New York to Los Angeles that, while perhaps not hosting 26-mile runs, might well be concerned about protests becoming violent.
The result❓ “No Kings” with its millions of participants, possibly the largest protest ever staged against a sitting U.S. president, turned out to be peaceful, humor-tinged (and more about that in a moment) and patriotic. Organizers deserve kudos here. At a time when emotions are running high, participants seem to take their cues from the upcoming Halloween celebration dressing up not only as Donald Trump, but often as cartoon characters in order to dance in the street. The humorous vibe was a more-than-welcome breath of fresh air.
As Exhibit A, we would simply point to social studies teacher Andy Vernor who dressed as a dime-store Uncle Sam to oppose the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in cities. “JUST SAY NO 2 MARTIAL LAW!” Vernor’s sign suggested. But how much more effective was that message coming from a man wearing a floppy top hat and a sparkly red, white and blue vest as he carried it around Patterson Park❓ A favorite cheer for runners navigating city streets❓ “Run like Trump’s behind you.”😊😂
That tone proved remarkably consistent across the country. Over and over, the atmosphere was more like that of a concert or street festival than an angry mob. Yes, the point was to underscore the president’s alarming authoritarian tendencies but this was no call for violence. It was more like some kind of mutual support society — Americans gathered, in part, simply to reassure each other that, no, it’s not normal for a president to dispatch National Guard troops into cities not in the middle of a crisis or to use his post for personal financial gain or to seek criminal indictment of his critics and on and on.
One may disagree with those perspectives or continue to stand by the president, but we should recognize that this was the First Amendment as it was meant to be exercised — and be grateful that in this country frustrated citizens can gather peacibly and make their voices heard.
Indeed, the most jarring part of the whole weekend may have been the reaction of leading Republicans in Washington, particularly House Speaker Mike Johnson who — even on Sunday when the event was over and the patriotism and positivity was widely acknowledged — went on ABC’s “This Week” to describe “No Kings” as a sign of the “rise of Marxism” in the Democratic Party and an effort to distract from the government shutdown.
Indeed, the most jarring part of the whole weekend may have been the reaction of leading Republicans in Washington, particularly House Speaker Mike Johnson who — even on Sunday when the event was over and the patriotism and positivity was widely acknowledged — went on ABC’s “This Week” to describe “No Kings” as a sign of the “rise of Marxism” in the Democratic Party and an effort to distract from the government shutdown.
Did they see what everyone else saw in their local rallies or in televised coverage of these events❓Obviously not.😕
Granted, the demonstrations didn’t solve much. Just as the first “No Kings” protests staged in mid-June did little to deter Donald Trump or his closest supporters. But then, that’s not how non-violent protest works. What it did accomplish was to alert the nation to the broad level of concern over the potential loss of democratic norms. Not in an alarmist manner. Not in a way that invites violence. But in a way that may well cause others to join their cause, to raise their voices and perhaps even raise their torch, especially if you came to the march dressed as the 🗽Statue of Liberty.
Granted, the demonstrations didn’t solve much. Just as the first “No Kings” protests staged in mid-June did little to deter Donald Trump or his closest supporters. But then, that’s not how non-violent protest works. What it did accomplish was to alert the nation to the broad level of concern over the potential loss of democratic norms. Not in an alarmist manner. Not in a way that invites violence. But in a way that may well cause others to join their cause, to raise their voices and perhaps even raise their torch, especially if you came to the march dressed as the 🗽Statue of Liberty.
Did Trump notice❓ It’s telling that prior to the event he predicted a low turnout. His allies called them “Hate America” rallies. With crowds collectively estimated at 7 million or more and patriotism and good will in such abundance, he changed his tune, first telling a reporter “Who cares?” when asked about the rallies and later posting online a video of himself wearing a crown. In Trump’s world, such a sharp turn suggests he got the message.
Such is the power of peaceful protest.
Labels: Andy Vernor, Baltimore Sun, National Guard, Patterson Park, Uncle Sam
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 5:42 AM
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