HOULTON, Maine — Spanning from the former Walgreens in Houlton to Dominos, protesters of all ages on Saturday protested the Trump administration as part of the nationwide No Kings day.
The Houlton event, with more than double the number of protesters at the first No Kings rally in June, is one of at least 37 that were planned across Maine. Joining the projected 2,600 events spanning the U.S., including such remote locations as Kodiak, Alaska, many in Houlton said they are fighting authoritarianism together.
“I think America needs to re-learn what it means to be together right now. We are not,” said Gene Barnes of Houlton. “Right now there is so much division and it’s so divisive.”
By midday Saturday, No Kings organizers said that millions of Americans had already joined peaceful demonstrations in over 800 cities and towns, with another nearly 1,900 events planned later in the day across the country as part of the No Kings Day of Peaceful Action.
Houlton organizers have been regularly holding rallies in support of the nation’s democracy in the historic downtown near the peace pole. But for Saturday’s event they decided to move to the larger, more visible location on North Street, said Mary Beth DiMarco, who works with a local grassroots group in organizing these events.
As protestors waved signs and flags with messages to restore democracy and constitutional freedoms, four lanes of traffic were honking in support.
Aviendha Adams, 8, who was leading a freedom chant on a megaphone during the rally, told her mother, Lavinia Lengele, the she is protesting, “Because I am a girl and I don’t want boys and men bullying me and telling me what to do.”
Many in the Houlton crowd were from the area, but people from Connecticut and Nova Scotia also joined the hour-long event.
“I want to make sure all the minority communities know they have a voice and people who are fighting for them,” said Jackson Adams, 16. “Human rights are for everyone. They didn’t protest at Stonewall for me to quit fighting now.”
One woman, who declined to be identified, was wearing a T-shirt with her mother’s photo on it in a World War II uniform.
“This is my mother, one of the original antifas,” she said.
And others agreed, saying that fathers and grandfathers fought in World War II against fascism.
“I’m hoping this does some good,” said Nancy Chalmers of Houlton. “They think we are terrorist hippies. But we will keep doing all we can do.”
Leading up to Saturday’s massive event, several Republican lawmakers, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota and Republican Conference Chair Lisa C. McClain said that the protests were “hate America” rallies. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R- Louisiana, said they were planned to appease the “terrorist wing” of the Democratic party, according to the Washington Post.
However, the Houlton protesters carried American flags, said they loved their country and democracy, and the event wrapped up with the crowd gathering around the flag to recite the pledge of allegiance.
“Today’s protest was powerful. The amount of support was incredible. More and more people are realizing the system isn’t working, and change is necessary,” said Lavinia Lengele. “Those who disagree with us also have rights: the right to protest, the right to dissent, even the right to flip us off. Those are freedoms worth protecting. Whether they realize it or not, when we protest, we’re fighting for their rights too. That is the beauty of democracy.”