Thousands of people gathered along E. Sims Way in Port Townsend on June 14 to participate in the “No Kings” protest, part of a nationwide day of defiance against the Trump administration.
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Thousands of people gathered along E. Sims Way in Port Townsend on June 14 to participate in the “No Kings” protest, part of a nationwide day of defiance against the Trump administration.
Somewhere between 2,000 and 2,200 people participated in the protest, which began at 1 p.m. and lasted until around 2:30 p.m., wrote Gina McMather, the leadership team chair for Indivisible Port Townsend.
Participants of all ages remained peaceful as cars drove by, honking in support.
“The energy and joy in community was palpable,” wrote McMather. “Kids, dogs, families — we were all part of something more important and bigger than ourselves.”
Around the country, 5 million people turned out to protest in more than 2,100 towns and cities, according to the ACLU. The protests coincided with Trump’s birthday and a large-scale military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.
McMather noted the local rally’s focus on American flags and honoring veterans felt “fitting and genuinely patriotic particularly when contrasted with the D.C. event where taxpayer millions were spent on one man’s whim to honor himself.”
Protesters in Port Townsend held signs ranging from “Dump Trump” and “No Faux-King Way” to “Resist Fascism” and “Melt ICE.”
Traffic on the main road into town slowed at times, with a ferry arriving and unloading passengers in the middle of the protest. The roadway was closed briefly to allow participants to safely cross the street to hear from speakers at Kah Tai Lagoon, wrote Port Townsend Police Chief Thomas Olson. One attendee, seen carrying a firearm, left the area after the police department contacted him.
James Kennedy, the Jefferson County prosecuting attorney, denounced the Trump administration, followed by Norma Bishop and Mike Cornforth, who both served in the U.S. Navy.
Bishop led the crowd in the Oath of Enlistment, which she said she took several times during her services, before encouraging listeners to “Resist, resist, resist.”
McMather said that Indivisible Port Townsend would continue to organize protests, with the next one scheduled for June 28 at 1 p.m.
