Politics & Government
Tens Of Thousands Rally In Chicago's 'No Kings' Protest
The march through downtown Chicago is believed to be one of the largest in the U.S., organizers said.
CHICAGO, IL — Tens of thousands of protestors gathered in downtown Chicago Saturday afternoon in a united show of disdain over President Donald Trump's policies.
The rally converged on Daley Plaza and spilled into the streets as marchers traveled down the center of the city carrying signs that read, "“Rise up, fight back" and "The wannabe king deserves a royal flush" and "Melt I.C.E.." Protestors, including one woman who held a sign that read, "No Dictators," raised their middle fingers to the sky as they filed down Michigan Avenue and past Trump Tower, according to the Wall Street Journal.
At about 4 p.m., as the rally at Daley Plaza wrapped up, Chicago Police blocked marchers at Dearborn and Washington who were attempting to walk to Chicago Immigration Court, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The crowds chanted, "let us through."
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Police told the protesters over a loudspeaker that the permit for them to be in the street had expired and suggested they move back to Daley Plaza. The protesters, in response, chanted, "shame."
The march, which at its height earlier in the afternoon spanned several city blocks in Chicago, is believed to be one of the largest "No Kings" demonstrations in the U.S., organizers said. In total, 2,000 similar rallies took place in cities across the U.S. as well as several Chicago-area towns.
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“No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance,” according to organizers. “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like.”
In Elmhurst, where about 1,200 people gathered, the crowd chanted, "Trump has go to go!" Many held American flags and signs that read, "America is not a monarchy" and "This is the government our founders warned us about."
In Joliet, more than 2,000 people gathered in a peaceful protest. Other protests took place in Naperville, Evanston and Orland Park.
Amy Johnson, deputy undersheriff with the Kane County Sheriff's Office, said authorities monitored peaceful protests happening throughout the area on Saturday "to see if support would be needed."
"During the 'No Kings' events, our services were not needed by all other agencies that were also monitoring these gatherings," Johnson said.
The planned protests fell on Trump's birthday as well as on the same day of a military parade in Washington, D.C., which his administration planned and cost an estimated $45 million. The protests come amid tensions following last weekend's Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids in Los Angeles where Trump deployed the California National Guard and the Marines despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections.
Donald Nash and his wife came to Daley Plaza with their daughter, Colleen, and three grandchildren on Saturday afternoon.
“These are teachable moments even for the littlest,” Colleen Nash told the Chicago Tribune. “I think it’s important to show them that there is something we can do about the many things that are clearly wrong right now and that protest is a powerful communal voice.”
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