HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — People gathered Saturday on Governors Drive in Huntsville and in communities across the state of Alabama for “ No Kings” demonstrations to protest the direction of the country under President Donald Trump.
Many of the protesters were holding signs and banners that read: ‘Defend the Constitution’, ‘Peace, Love, and Democracy’ and ‘No Lying King’, with passersby’s honking their horns in support.
People began to gather just before 9 a.m. and although there was no official head count, organizers estimated that there were thousands of people that remained on Governors Drive until 11 a.m.
Most are angered by the approach to mass deportations and ICE raids.
The No Kings demonstrations come on the heels of a government shutdown that closed federal programs. Many, like Jim Chamberlain of Huntsville, used the platform to show how dissatisfied their country is being run.
“I hope that our more moderate leaders and some within the republican party will start pushing back on some of the more extreme measures that are being taken then we can start seeing some bipartisanship and get the government back up and running again,” said Chamberlain.
Lerisha Thompson said that immigration detentions and deployments of troops in U.S. cities are alarming signs of eroding democracy.
“I feel things in this country are slipping away and we have to do something and so we are out here today to peacefully protest to say there are no kings. We fought a war against Tierney and we’re going to continue to fight it,” Thompson explained. “We don’t have secret police in the U.S., we don’t snatch people off the streets, we don’t ignore court orders, and we don’t trash the constitution.”
The rally in Huntsville was among dozens planned across the state of Alabama, including rallies in Guntersville and Athens.
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