“No Kings” Boston Protesters Express Why You Should Participate
- Rosa Morales Simmons
- Oct 18
- 2 min read
By Rosa Morales-Simmons
“No Kings,” transcribed on placards, and exhaled from the mouths of protesters and supporters, was in harmony with a complicitly, warm Saturday. Chants like, “show me what democracy looks like” and “the people united will never be defeated,” were sung by spirited speakers and leaders, and echoed among protesters in theatrically political displays.
The Boston Common hosted one of an estimated 2,700 nationwide rallies in protest of the anticipated descent into an authoritarian and militaristic regime led by the Trump administration. Massachusetts’ officials and advocacy groups delivered speeches on the controversial practices of the administration, and expressed their alliance with the anti-autocracy movement.
Among signs with “8647” written, green frog art, and inflatables in reference to the federal government’s attempts to deploy the National Guard on Portland protesters, “No Kings” participants voiced their contempt for the administration’s methods on immigration, free speech, and the federal cutting of need-based programs.
“This is not what America should be, and it's not what America is,” said an anonymous protester. “There are so many reasons to be here today.”
Observations of the “No Kings” protests, headed by a coalition of U.S. public service groups, are said to appear disproportionately homogenous due to a lack of observable diversity. With the active presence of the widely criticized ICE raids, some groups have been deterred from entering locations and events that may facilitate a potential ambush.
“People that are afraid, that are still at home, or that have complied, or just aren’t sure where they should stand,” said protester, Patience Ortiz. “They should come out, and they should be encouraged to have courage, actual courage, to be able to keep fighting.”
Anti-Trump protests have been notably losing representation within some groups. Initiatives like the 92 Percent Movement, which represents the 92% of Black women who voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, reflect an active absence in anti-47 movements by some voters.
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes,” Trina Jackson quoted twentieth-century activist Ella Baker. “I think it helps to see how big we all are, which is to say we are not alone. Jackson continued, “it may even expose more challenges we have to face.”
The rally ended with left-over signs presented on the turf of the Common like artifacts. Some protesters continued chanting with their signs held, while lingering optimism followed them through the neighboring streets.
“I know that a lot of times it feels hopeless. Me and my friends would talk about it, and it feels like nothing is working,” said Ortiz. “ But eventually it does.”