Last weekend, millions of citizens nationwide came together for “No Kings Day” to oppose federal policies and actions, protest the treatment of immigrants, and challenge the recent deployment of American troops to Los Angeles.
In Cottage Grove, more than 110 residents gathered on Main Street on Friday evening, displaying hand-drawn signs and flags.
Click here to view Bob William’s full gallery of the No Kings protest in Cottage Grove.
“As you’ll see by some of our signs, the United States of America hasn’t had a king since 1776, so I don’t think we’d need one now. Many of us have had enough,” said Cottage Grove resident Elaine Burns, 68, one of the event organizers as part of the Cottage Grove Friends of Democracy community action group. “We’ve got such a strong passion for our Constitution and the defense of our democracy that we had to find a way to channel it. (Protesting) is a healthy, safe way to channel the outrage that we feel.”
In Eugene, thousands of residents, along with 200 partner organizations from throughout Lane County, convened at the Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse before marching through downtown. This rally was organized by the Activist Coalition of Eugene Springfield (ACES) and 50501 Eugene. Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said the crowd was over 6,000, while organizers estimated the number to be closer to 10,000.
Click here to view Bob William’s full gallery of the No Kings protest in Eugene.
“Kings rule by decree without approval by a legislative body … (this) protest is a declaration that the People will have no kings,” stated Boris Wiedenfeld-Needham, 50501 spokesperson, one of the partner organizations of the Eugene event.
“We felt like we gotta do something,” said Audrey Malan, a Cottage Grove resident, of her involvement in the protest. “Our main theme – how radical of us – is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That’s what we’re doing.”
Tim Keaveny, Friends president, has been a resident of Cottage Grove for 16 years.
“We are here to show that there is a voice here of people gathered and that we are here to show our neighbors that there’s not just one side to the conversation. We’re willing to engage if they want to,” he said.
Keaveny said he is especially concerned about the impact on local programs like the Community Sharing Program, Head Start, and local fire response, especially wildfire season here.
“I am trying to connect with people on issues that impact them locally, because if they can figure out what’s hurting them locally, how these federal policies are affected locally, they might start thinking nationally and seeing things differently,” said organizer Jason Szczepaniak, 51, of Cottage Grove. “I’m reaching across the aisle to people who are souring to these policies that are coming out. It’s a wide range of what they’re opposing, but everyone is opposing something.”
