PITTSBURG, Kan. — Across the country, in small towns and big cities, citizens turned out to protest on what was dubbed “No Kings,” Saturday. In Pittsburg, more than 200 area community members gathered at Pritchett Pavilion for the occasion and significant numbers were reported to have turned out at a similar event in Joplin.
Many of the Pittsburg participants held a variety of signs and listened to speeches, songs and messages by fellow attendees. Some of the signs read, “No Kings,” “Liberty and Justice for All,” “Protect Our Neighbors,” “Impeach. Convict. Remove. Deport.,” “Don’t Lick the Boot that Treads on You.” and many more.
There appeared to be no counter protestors at the Pittsburg event and there were only a few reports of violence at events across the U.S.
“This last week's rallies were about devotion to our country, to our freedoms, and to the idea that government should serve the people, not rule them,” Crawford County Democratic Party Chairperson Dr. Emily Walters said. “We had hundreds of people who assembled both peaceably and joyfully, and it was a great time.”
Crawford County Republican Party Communications Director Roger Lomshek said in an email that “Saturday's democrat led No Kings - Day of Defiance protest showed us just how out of touch the radicals in attendance are.
“President Trump won over 61% of the votes in Crawford County and is doing exactly what voters wanted him to do, regardless of what this fringe minority demand.”
Based on reports by other news outlets, thousands gathered in Kansas City, Wichita and the Statehouse in Topeka. The Wichita Eagle reported that many present were first-time protesters.
Pittsburg’s rally was one of 2,000 scheduled protests across the United States on June 14.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews
