No Kings Protest
On March 28th, the third “No Kings” protest took place in thousands of cities across the country. The protests aimed to condemn the Trump administration’s actions and unite the people to defend democracy against Trump’s policies and intentions. According to BBC, over 8 million people attended protests nationwide.
The one in Charlottesville took place along the highway at Stonefield Shopping Center and attracted people from across the community. I attended with three of my friends, who are also second-year college students. Upon arrival, we were unsure what to expect, but we were welcomed into the crowd and met with praise from older attendees who were more than happy to converse with us and thank us for representing the younger demographic. While we saw a few other college students, the protest was mostly made up of older residents and families from the Charlottesville community. Many people showed up with creative signs, and some even took it upon themselves to hand out snacks, buttons, or flyers.
Cars driving down the highway honked to show their support, and some even held signs out their windows or had decorated their cars to say “No Kings.” While the overwhelming response was supportive, a few cars held up pro-Trump signs in opposition or yelled in protest from their windows. The event was very peaceful and helped to unite the community against the Trump administration without causing any harm. A few people were playing music, and one woman was even leading a dance, encouraging people to join in.
I’ve seen discourse online disapproving of these protests, claiming they won’t change anything because Trump will be our president either way. While this argument may have some truth to it, the importance of community and speaking out could not be more important than it is now. Simply watching events unfold on the news can be disheartening or make you feel helpless and alone. Showing up for your community and standing for what you believe in helps grow opposition to Trump’s policies and can unite us to eventually make a change.
While it may seem useless right now, nothing will change if the people stand idly by and watch this administration destroy our country. The biggest changes in American history have been made because people were outspoken about what they believe in, and we shouldn’t stop doing this just because we are told it is “hopeless.”