An estimated 2,500-3,000 people showed up for a “No Kings” rally on March 28 that began in South Orange, NJ and proceeded to Maplewood Town Hall. There, speakers led protesters in chants and songs and criticized actions of the Trump Administration — to cheers from a feisty and festive, but peaceful crowd.
The event was one of more than 3,500 protests reportedly planned across the U.S. for the day, organized loosely on the national level by No Kings and Indivisible, partnering locally with grass roots organizations — in this case, the progressive group SOMA Action.
“It’s good to be here with people who fundamentally reject kings,” said Chigozie Onyema, Assemblyman for New Jersey’s 28th legislative district. “We’re also here today because we believe that rallies like this help us deepen our democracy. And we are also here today because we believe that we can introduce some of that democracy into our economy. Because we don’t believe that a handful of billionaires should determine our political or our economic future.”
Chigozie Onyema. Photo by Max Fraidstern.
Noting that he represents Irvington, South Orange, Maplewood, and part of Newark, Onyema said, “We have different experiences, but I’m gonna tell you what, we also have a shared reality. All of us. They make different threats, but we have a common enemy. And when we come together, we can absolutely defeat that enemy. … The people united have never been defeated in this country.”
South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum pushed back against critics of “No Kings” who called protesters “radicals.”
“It’s not radical that people should love who they love freely and without fear,” said Collum. “That everyone should have healthcare in the country. It is not radical to believe that we are going to defend our right to vote.”
“Today, we are going to rally,” said Collum, “but tomorrow we get back to mobilizing, organizing, and turning out the vote. We have a special election that’s coming up in April, and then another primary in June and November.” Collum encouraged the crowd to vote for Analilia Mejia for Congress — Mejia also spoke at the rally, as did former NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin, leaders of SOMA Action, and Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca.
Also speaking: young voices, including Salma Osman of Seton Hall Democrats and Elle Guillaume of CHS Students for Justice.
“I think we all agree we have plenty of reasons to be afraid,” Guillaume told the crowd, but “we have even more reasons to feel empowered.”
Elle Guillaume. Photo by Max Fraidstern.
Guillaume cited a protest this past winter after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis: “On a 15 degree day with fierce winds, I watched as 200 students gathered on Ritzer Field, to protest ICE’s invasion of our communities. Bravely, my peers stepped up to share their personal experiences. Whether they were an immigrant themselves, or simply enraged by the unequal treatment of our citizens, they refused to be silent…. My club, Students for Justice, has felt this energy firsthand. From voter registration drives to the overwhelming amount of winter clothing donations we received, I have witnessed something pivotal. Young people are showing up.”
“And not because somebody told them to,” continued Guillaume. ”We understand that silence is a choice, a choice we know we cannot afford to make. Let these anecdotes be a source of consolation. There is an emerging generation of leaders ready to take action. We must remember, every movement that has changed this country was built by everyday people who refused to accept the world as it was. They are counting on our fear. Let’s give them our rage instead.”
Photo by Max Fraidstern.
Locally funded, locally organized
In response to a Fox News story, published today, that reported the No Kings movement was funded by George Soros and “tied to [a] communist revolution push,” Erika Malinoski of SOMA Action sent this statement to Village Green:
“It’s so telling that they can’t imagine that people would care enough about their country to do this work for free. Not even for free, actually, ordinary people are donating grocery gift cards, filament for 3D whistle printing, and untold hours of their time because we know that solidarity and being there for our neighbors is what keeps us all safe and free.
“SOMA Action is funded purely by donations from the community, which we spend on things like printing costs, art supplies, and a few small honorariums. But for this rally we were blown away by the eagerness of the community to donate things like sound equipment, professional expertise, whistles, and above all time with no compensation. We had over 100 volunteers from safety marshals to arts and craft tables to a planning committee that met multiple times a week on zoom all so that we could get out there and show the world that Americans want a country where we take care of each other and meet everyone’s basic needs, not one where a wannabe king denies people food and healthcare so that he can enrich himself and send a secret police force to terrorize communities and kill with impunity.
“The people who voted for Trump have a lot more in common with us than with the Trump cronies who are raking in billions while ordinary people suffer. Of course the people in power are going to throw whatever nonsense they can think of out there to try to keep folks from realizing that.”
Photos by Max Fraidstern, an 11th grade student at Columbia High School who is working with Village Green as a paid freelancer through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium:
