“I dislike the disdain for the Constitution. I dislike the disdain for the rule of law. You understand how important the law is to making this government work. The interpretation of the law gets finalized, whether I like it or not, by the U.S. Supreme Court. And whatever they say, whether I like it or not, is the law of the land. That has to hold true on both sides of that equation. And I’m not sure it does too adequately in this current version of this administration,” said Rodney Ragsdale, a 20-year veteran of the United States Army and a retired teacher, at Saturday’s No Kings protest in Douglas.
Ragsdale was one of about 30 protesters who gathered in the grassy area in front of Longhorn Steakhouse to voice their displeasure with President Donald Trump’s immigration/deportation policies. In the last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been conducting operations in Los Angeles, California. The operations have led to protests in L.A., resulting in President Trump sending National Guard troops to the area without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Newsom administration filed a suit against President Trump and a judge ruled that Trump did overstep his authority. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling, which is on hold until an appellate court can hear the case.
As a result of what happened in Los Angeles, communities big and small across the country staged rallies that were dubbed No Kings protests. Protesters believe that Trump has acted in an unconstitutional and authoritarian manner. The protests were their way of speaking out against policies that they believe endanger democracy.
The Douglas protests were organized by locals who also organized a similar protest in February. “This is an event to go against Trump’s rising authoritarian policies. He called protesters in L.A. and Chicago terrorists, and he’s trying to find a way to utilize the military against them. He took control of the California National Guard against the governor’s wishes. In general, his policies are rivaling fascism,” said organizer Lawton Hurst.
“What’s going on right now is the beginning of an authoritarian reign. And before Elon [Musk] recently leaving Trump’s side, it was looking like an oligarchy for a minute there. We just can’t stand for that and we won’t sit in silence. We’ll be on the right side of history,” said Hailey Beasley, who helped Hurst organize the protest.
Hurst continued: “We’d like to see an impeachment that actually leads to something. If not, I’d like to see a change in this policy – a policy change where immigrants aren’t being attacked, queer people aren’t being attacked. Things like that. Make it where America is free and welcoming for everyone not just rich white men.”
Saturday’s protest in Douglas was peaceful; however, the same can’t be said for other locations. Violent clashes took place in Portland, as well as communities in Virginia, Utah, and other states.
While the No Kings protests were taking place, Washington, D.C., was in full patriotic regalia. There was a large parade/celebration recognizing Flag Day as well as the Army’s 250th birthday. Likewise, Saturday was also President Trump’s 79th birthday so that celebration also rolled into the day’s festivities.
“I’m pleasantly surprised with the civility of the people coming through here. Because there are certainly some issues that they don’t approve of,” said Ragsdale.
The protest was permitted to last two hours – from noon until 2 p.m. Officers from the Douglas Police Department were staged nearby but out of sight in case anything went awry. Not all the people who rode by were supportive but the protest never turned tense.