Jefferson County Joins Nationwide No Kings Rally, Advocating for Rights and Democracy
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Roughly two thousand protesters lined Sims Way on Saturday for the No Kings protest. Photo Angela Downs [/caption]
News by Angela Downs
On Saturday, June 14, Jefferson County residents lined Sims Way and gathered at the Kah Tai Lagoon, joining millions across the Nation in over 2,000 cities for the No Kings Rally, protesting President Trump’s military parade, following days of demonstrations against ICE raids across the US.
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The protest culminated in a rally at Kah Tai Lagoon. Photo by Angela Downs [/caption]
Cars honked as they drove with cheering people, flags and costumes on both sides of the road. People were calling, drumming, and singing for the protection of rights for LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, healthcare, national parks, and constitutional rights such as the freedom of speech.
Beacon Board President, Gary B. Larson, recently wrote, “The First Amendment is more than ink on parchment. It’s a daily promise we must protect and practice… The Supreme Court has repeatedly confirmed that the right to peaceable assembly is essential to our democracy.”
The Port Townsend Indivisible Group (PTIG) is an independently funded collective opposed to MAGA and the MAGA agenda. They first organized after the 2017 Women's March and have been meeting every month since. PTIG organized the rally in hopes that people would feel like they are part of a mass movement for effective change.
Nancy Fredrick played pipes, and veterans Mike Cornforth, Norma Bishop, and County Prosecutor James Kennedy spoke at the rally to an estimated two thousand people.
In his speech, Cornforth said, “The Constitution establishes a republican form of government responsive to the will of its citizenry and takes special pains to establish institutions and processes that prevent a recurrence of tyranny. Those institutions and processes are under severe stress today. Multiple violations range from the arrest and deportation of people without due process, to the denial of Congressionally approved funding, to the violation of international agreements and treaties, all the way to employing the armed forces against the citizenry and elected officials. It is readily apparent that our constitutional form of government is under attack.”
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One of many creative signs at the protest. Photo by Angela Downs [/caption]
Bruce Cowan, one of the PTIG organizers, said, “The protest is about the overreach of the President, the disregard of the Constitution and Rule of Law, and cruelty. We hope to see Congress regain authority, and the Courts also limiting the overreach of the President and establish the separation of powers.”
As a retired teacher, Cowan hopes kids see their families willing to defend Democracy, to press in opposition to the status quo, and that the community continues to make their voices heard. Exercising the right to freedom of speech is essential to the assurance that it remains a part of our way of life.
“You are the hope for Port Townsend, you and those under 70. Thank you for being here,” Cornforth said.
A few participants at the rally stated their concern for people showing up to events and rallies, but then going home to continue buying from Amazon, building $300,000 homes, and seeking comfort and security in established patterns. Their hope is to see radical change on personal individual levels.
PTIG meets every second Tuesday at the Fair Grounds at 5:30.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that there were hundreds of thousands of people protesting nationwide. Though no accurate numbers are being reported, it’s safe to say it’s easily in the millions.
