On Saturday, June 14, La Crosse area residents showed up to the intersection of State Street and Losey Boulevard from 12-2 p.m. to peacefully protest at one of many nationwide “No Kings” rallies. Across the country, an estimated over 11 million individuals participated, according to local organizers and the Alt National Park Service.
The event page for the protest reads, “No Kings is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies … The flag doesn’t belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to us.”
The protest was strategically scheduled on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, during the time of his military parade in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. The largest military parade since 1991, it was estimated to cost around $40 million, featuring soldiers, military equipment and warplanes.
Many La Crosse protesters took issue with this decision and the ways the Trump administration has utilized the U.S. military, including Veteran Michael Hager.
Hager said, “That’s what fascists do is they have a big old military parade to show how powerful they are. Except for that military is ours, it’s yours and he should not be putting it [the military] in California. It’s not supposed to be on the streets in the United States, to go against the civilians. Never. I mean, it’s in the Constitution.”
Over this past week, protests in Los Angeles, California, against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city have been met with military troops, rubber bullets, tear gas, arrests and other measures. Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem assured that the ICE raids will not cease.
Michael Sternweis said that the motivation behind his attendance was, “Mostly the response to the protests in L.A. by not only local law enforcement, but the employment of the National Guard and Marines to the area. I found that worrying and a significant infringement on First Amendment rights.”
Kelsey Marshall said she decided to attend the “No Kings” protest in response to Christian nationalism being used to justify negative views towards immigration.
She said, “I urge people to read Leviticus chapter 19, verse 33, where it talks about how we should treat immigrants. And I think that this is really important for people to pay attention to when looking at what’s happening here with illegal immigrants.”
UWL Alumna Stephannie Aljawhar said, “Watching the comparisons to Germany and the 1940s, this scares me. And the loss of our freedom and the treatment of refugees and foreign students, the ice raids, shooting U.S. senators and [members of Congress] … detaining them – It’s out of control.”
The shootings in question both took place in Minnesota on Saturday morning and led to the cancellation of “No Kings” protests in the state. The first shooting did not result in any fatalities, but targeted state Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The second shooting, which Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has described as a “politically motivated assassination,” resulted in the death of both Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Marina Dvorak expressed her concerns for the rights of individuals in America and justice as Americans know it.
She said, “I’m personally concerned about people being ripped from their homes and from their families. I don’t believe that people are illegal. I believe that people have a right to be here. I am concerned about losing my rights as a woman. I’m concerned about … reproductive rights, our rights as individuals, our rights to go through due process of the law, and justice and have a fair and free trial. I’m just afraid that justice is really on the line right now.”
Other attendees cited the proposed changes to Medicaid and Medicare in Trump’s budget bill as their reason for protesting. Among those attendees was Ashli Marshall, whose six-year-old daughter has required multiple surgeries on her heart.
She said, “We rely on that [Medicaid], and seeing them dismantle everything and not give a [damn] about anybody, and then rich people are getting richer and just watching … the descent and everyone just getting away with it. They just keep getting away with it … Where’s the line?”
Hannah Paulson expressed her support for the preservation of Medicare and Medicaid.
“I work in public health. I’m very concerned about everything RFK Jr. is doing, everything Trump is doing to Medicare and Medicaid. I want to make sure that everyone knows that health is a human right, and everybody should be able to access those services. That money is there for them, and nobody should be taking it away.”
Part of the protest’s focus was on the preservation of American democracy under the Trump administration’s alleged authoritarian tendencies and corruption.
When asked what the biggest issue currently facing the country was, Anthony Clouse responded, “The erosion of the balance of power. Like, if we’re gonna tell judges that they don’t have to be obeyed, then we’re no longer a democracy, then we’re headed towards something different.”
Similarly, Alex Dolianitis said, “It’s getting to the point where we’re no longer anticipating a fascist takeover. We are here.”
Marina Dvorak agreed and added, “there’s a lot of misinformation that’s being spread about peaceful protests turning into riots, and we’re here to peacefully protest and show how that’s really done … We’re not going to stay in our homes and be afraid because we need to speak up now.”
The event remained peaceful throughout its two-hour duration and attracted over one thousand local demonstrators. Passing cars were encouraged to honk their horns in approval, some even adorned with American flags and signs.
Paulson said, “It makes my heart feel so good to know there are other people in our community that are also paying attention and care about what’s going on, and that are standing with the side of love and compassion and caring about all of our neighbors. Seeing so many people out here really gives me a lot more hope for the situation we’re in.”
Sternweis said, “It’s always good to feel a little bit of hope in the community and your fellow Americans standing up for what is right.”
“There’s a lot of joy and love out here today. There’s not a lot of hate out here today,” said Dvorak.
While the Saturday protest has seemed to spark a flame of hope in the protestors, Paulson said the work does not end there.
She said, “I just hope that people keep showing up, people keep doing what we’re doing in the community, that it’s not just today, but people continue to get involved in whatever way they’re able to. Every day. We have to keep at it every day.”
