Delaware had six No Kings protests throughout the state Saturday, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s birthday and the Army’s 250th anniversary parade day.
The protest was a part of a nationwide movement planned by the 50501 Movement.
Dover’s No Kings protest drew a crowd to Legislative Hall Saturday morning. Attendees waved signs, sang protest songs and listened to speeches, including one by State Sen. Trey Paradee.
Ed Bejzak is on the leadership committee of Indivisible Central Delaware and spoke at the Dover protest. He said the cliche “all politics are local” rang true Saturday.
“It is crucial that we come together in mutual aid and protect each other, support each other and our voice can be heard,” Bejzak said. “As one of the Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg says, ‘courage is contagious.’”
Bejzak said Indivisible Central Delaware has continued to grow from 400 members in March and had many people volunteering for Saturday’s protest.
Oscar Torres is a veteran who attended the No Kings protest in Dover. He served overseas for about five years and decided to leave active duty.
Torres said he’s shocked to see troops deployed in Los Angeles.
“No kings – we fought that a long time ago, right?” Torres said. “That's why we were a nation, and the way Trump is moving is definitely, I would say, foreshadowing to something of the same. And it's not what we want here. That's not what we were founded on.”
Torres said he attends protests in support of veterans and accessible health care.
Protestor Valerie Thompson said she and her husband, who is a veteran, also show up for veterans.
“It has been amazing every time we go,” Thompson said. “It's always a show of community solidarity.”
Thompson has attended several protests in Delaware and traveled to D.C. for the Hands Off protest in April.
“The way that the Trump administration is approaching things, this autocratic, ‘we're going to do what we're going to do without any input from the citizens of the United States,’ ignoring court orders,” Thompson said. “That's just not how we do things in America.”
Indivisible Central Delaware and Indivisible Southern Delaware plan to continue organizing protests.
