Over 1,000 people expressed their disdain for the Trump administration at Saturday’s No Kings protest at City Hall, with witty signs, anti-ICE chants, and calls to impeach Trump. Also writing things like ‘Medicare for all’ and ‘vote’ on Backbone Campaign’s enlarged banner of the Declaration of Independence.
“It’s sad the direction that the US is going in, and if I have the opportunity and the right to use my voice and speak up about what’s going on I definitely want to do it,” said Brian Carranza.
The high turnout affirmed that people care as deeply about the issues as he does. A drawing of Trump wearing a swastika appeared on the front of his handmade sign, while the back read, “Tortas never hurt anyone,” with “ICE” crossed out below the text.
“Even if it doesn’t affect you, it’s affecting your neighbor, it’s affecting your community, and even if it’s not affecting you in some capacity, to turn a blind eye to this is just you being complicit,” Carranza added.
1 out of 7 Houstonians know someone who has been detained by ICE, and because HPD is required to call ICE when a person they pull over has an administrative warrant, the threat of loved ones ending up in inhumane facilities, like Dilley, where they’re served food with worms (and may even end up dead under unclear circumstances like 19-year-old Royer Perez-Jimenez ), very real to them.
There was also a strong anti-war message, with the crowd exploding in rapturous applause when a veteran spoke against “forever wars,” and the USA forgoing Medicaid in favor of them. ‘Stop sending our soldiers (soldiers was colored in camo) to their deaths for Bibi’s (an illustration of Netanyahu was placed beside Bibi) war,’ wrote Jessica Fenley on her poster.
Somewhere in the program, the protestors expressed disapproval of the death of 108 school children in Minab and then held a moment of silence for the U.S. soldiers, partly responsible for the deadly strikes and continued targeting of civilians and other children in the unprovoked aggression in Iran.
Meanwhile, some protestors had grievances with the optics of the administration.
“We’re here to…be part of this unified rally to stop the corruption that Donald Trump has brought into the White House. Particularly, I’m tired of his insults, and that’s why I made this poster this year. President Piggy Bone Spurs,” Jeff quotes his sign. It depicts Trump with a 3D snout and hooves and references his repeated attacks on female journalists. “I’ve always made signs on issues, but not this year. I’m going in for the name-calling, and I’m tired of it.”
“He will get his justice in court. The whole cabinet will get their justice in court after all this is over with because they’re all Crooks. They’re all making money, and they’re all grifters. All of them,” interjected his partner, Jim.
Due to things like his past impeachment and role in the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Trump’s terms have been marred with corruption, and failure to release the Epstein files and insider trading scandals have only exacerbated those claims.
“And something else that I protest is the way he’s taking command of his appearance on a stage. There are to be no wheelchairs, there are to be no sign language interpreters, and just yesterday, we heard that he does not like standing next to black females. I’m just so sick of this. It’s despicable.”
“And now he’s destroying the Kennedy Center, probably going to turn it into the Trump Center. I don’t like the way he puts his name on everything.” He agreed with the assessment of Trump being a grifter, dubbing him the ‘Grifter in Chief.
The national protest has received criticism for having no clear demands or calls for continued pressure outside electoral politics, leading to no material changes. Conditions in the country have worsened following the last two No Kings Protests. According to the official No Kings website, they cite things like the militarization of ICE agents and voter suppression.
Socialists speaking about voting not being the only solution out of the current reality and the bipartisan support for ICE, the police, and military funding was met with a noticeable silence from the crowd.
“It’s kind of to be expected for No Kings protests. As big-tent anti-Trump rallies, they’re bound to be mostly liberals. However, that’s also the reason that we’re there,” says Party for Socialism and Liberation and UH Student Justice for Palestine member Daniel Colucci. “We’re there to try to educate these people as to both the possibilities beyond the Democrats as well as point out that the Democrats have many of the same positions that the Republicans do: on ICE, foreign wars, Israel, etc.”
According to Colucci, attendees were receptive to the message of their organization. He urges more radical orgs to attend these protests to further educate people on the link between different movements.
“Many people who are against the Trump regime’s brutality within the US are unaware that other groups, such as the black community or Palestinians, have suffered under such conditions for decades. ICE camps, systemic racism, and the genocide in Palestine all benefit the same people: the ruling class, the billionaires. The sooner the average American realizes this, the sooner we’ll be able to create real change.”
Delivered by Shekinah Abolo
