No Kings protest in Cincinnati showcases democracy and nonviolence

Story & Photos by Ben Barden
bardenbr77@gmail.com

On Saturday, June 14, over eight-thousand Cincinnatians peacefully took to the streets along with millions across the country in approximately 2,100 No Kings events in the largest single-day demonstration since President Trump took office in January. 

The primary Cincinnati event began with a rally at University Pavilion on the University of Cincinnati campus, followed by a march down Clifton and Ludlow Avenues and an ending rally at Burnet Woods Park. The University of Cincinnati was not involved in the event and closed all of its parking garages to public access immediately before the protest began, but the event proceeded successfully and peacefully despite this obstruction.

“The Trump regime wants us all to feel alone in our opposition to their actions, and we’re here to let everyone know they’re not,” said organizer Ethan Grzeda. 

“When democracy is under attack, working people don’t stay silent,” stated Brian Griffin of the AFL-CIO, who spoke at the event. “We show up, we speak out, and we lock arms to defend the freedoms we’ve spent generations fighting to build.”

The demonstrations were organized as part of the national “No Kings” day of action planned to coincide with President Trump’s co-opting of Flag Day to throw a $100 million taxpayer-funded birthday parade for himself in Washington D.C. Organizers and attendees at the rally emphasized their collective commitment to the principles of nonviolence and the exercise of their constitutionally guaranteed rights of speech and assembly.

Organizer Valerie Barrett stated: “We are not a political movement. We are a people’s movement.  We are not funded by anyone. We are regular people, volunteers with full time jobs. The Trump administration wants to intimidate us and make us think that their power is absolute. They want us to think that authoritarianism is inevitable. We know it isn’t. We know that real power belongs to the people, and that’s why we are asserting our right to peacefully demonstrate, as defined in the United States Constitution.”

The event was primarily organized by 50501 Cincinnati, in partnership with Bold New Democracy, Indivisible Resistance in Southwest Ohio, and Coffee. Compassion. Action!

Organizers stated, This is only the latest in a series of widespread protests which have only grown larger across the country since the President’s second inauguration. The protests are meant to show that this country is a democracy without any king and that no one (especially not the President) can stop people from peacefully speaking out. President Trump is sending the military into American cities and throwing a military parade to distract from a spending bill that would strip healthcare from 16 million Americans and limit judicial oversight of executive actions. At a time when immigrants and protestors are being attacked and disappeared throughout the country by ICE, people are standing up across the country to demand that ICE leave their communities, the military not be used as a political tool, and to show the entire world that the country rejects Trump’s assault on American democracy.’’

Organizer Crystal Sartin emphasized, “Being a proud multicultural/multiracial gay woman, I was taught that things like morals, respect, humanity, and being a productive contributing member to society were qualifying factors of a true American. Since Trump has been in office, those traits are overlooked based on ethnicity and sexual orientation. Americans and legal immigrants are getting deported. Our gay and trans communities are also under attack. We are all hard working people who are here for the same purpose: the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.”

The 50501 movement is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization made up entirely of volunteers and does not receive any national funding from other organizations. No Kings and other previous protests are locally supported events by community members and leaders who are tired of the overreach of the Trump administration and are committed to resisting nonviolently.