Earlier this month, tens of thousands of North Carolinians took part in the single largest day of protest in US history, joining over 7 million people across the country for the second ‘No Kings’ Day.
There were officially organized marches and rallies at sixty-one locations around the state, along with an unknown number of smaller, independently organized gatherings. From the busy downtowns of cities like Durham and Charlotte to the main streets of smaller towns like Brevard and Mount Airy, people gathered on Oct. 18th to voice their opposition to the Trump administration.
They carried creative homemade signs, waved American flags, and some even wore inflatable costumes in solidarity with the protestors in Portland. Walking through the crowds, one could meet liberals, moderates, and more than a few traditional conservatives. All agreed that the Trump administration has gone too far and must be resisted, but their individual reasons varied widely.
“I don’t consider myself completely Democrat or completely Republican,” said Jeffrey Self at the Charlotte march. “I consider myself somewhere in the middle, but I do know that human rights should be respected.”
Top concerns were the trampling of constitutional rights by ICE agents, the threat to American democracy, and the huge cuts to Medicaid and SNAP to pay for billionaire tax breaks. However, the full list of reasons is long and growing.
“A lot more lines have been crossed,” said Tracey Kepler, a protester in Apex. “I feel like we’re really in a perilous place.”
No Kings was organized by a coalition of over 200 groups, including 50501, Indivisible, Common Cause, various labor unions, and the Poor People’s Campaign. Organizers called it a non-violent day of action to “defend democratic norms and reject authoritarianism”. It was the third large-scale protest this year and the largest one yet, beating out the June 14th event by roughly 2 million people.
Some who couldn’t join the crowds held small events of their own, including a Wake County retirement community whose residents organized a rally with visiting family members. Others attended to show that people of all ages and backgrounds know something seriously wrong is happening.
“I want to be out for the younger generation to encourage them to fight what’s happening in the country right now,” said Wayne Stiles, an 84-year-old veteran who was at the Raleigh demonstrations with his adult son.
Multiple members of Trump’s cabinet and some state Republican officials suggested sending the National Guard to the various protests.
At the end of the day, police departments in major cities across the country, including Charlotte, posted to social media thanking the crowds for their commitment to peaceful protest and reporting that zero arrests had been made.
When asked for comment, the North Carolina GOP claimed the protestors were “far-left radicals” before changing the subject. Leading up to the massive event, Trump predicted that “very few people” would take part. Following the record-breaking turnout, he posted an A.I. video to social media, depicting himself piloting a fighter jet over the crowds and dropping what appeared to be sewage onto those marching in the streets.
The ridicule from the right is not at all reflected in the views of the American public.
Polling over the past two months shows that 54-62% of the country thinks Trump has gone too far or acted outside his authority.
A poll from the Public Religion Research Institute even showed that more Americans felt comfortable labelling Trump as a “dangerous dictator” than as a “strong leader.” Trump’s overall disapproval rating has continued to steadily grow, according to the latest data from Emerson College.
