Protesters crowd downtown Flagstaff as part of nationwide ‘No Kings Day’ rally

By MosaicNAZ.org

FLAGSTAFF — With some local media reporting a crowd topping 3,000, Flagstaff residents and Northern Arizona visitors alike turned out in mass for one of the largest rallies in the city in recent memory during the “No Kings Day” mass protest held Saturday, June 14 in front of Flagstaff City Hall.

The large crowd came in spite of near mid-summer temperatures approaching 90 degrees, and added personal safety vigilance as a result of deadly political violence earlier in the day in Minnesota. The protest nationwide was organized by the 50501 movement with the local effort hosted by Indivisible Northern AZ.

Opponents of the Trump administration crowded the sidewalks from starting at Wheeler Park and Humphreys Street along Route 66 around the curve to Milton Road, filling the grassy area up to the Flagstaff City Hall sign. A sizable crowd of protestors also filled the opposite side of the street up to the Flagstaff Train Depot. When they were’t waiving signs, soliciting supportive horns from passing vehicles, the protesters joined in drum performances, chants and listened to speeches from local political leaders.

“No Kings Day is one of the largest days of protest in American history,” Indivisible Project national leaders stated in a media release. “From deep red small towns to our largest cities, millions of people turned out to make clear that the American people will not bow to fascism.

“The protesters were peaceful, organized, and above all — they were brave.

“Trump has made no secret of his willingness to use force to crush dissent. He’s got tanks rolling through DC and marines in Los Angeles where we’ve all seen (and continue to see) police respond aggressively to peaceful protests.

“And on top of those authoritarian images, we awoke this morning (June 14) to the news of horrific political violence in Minnesota, where Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were slain and Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded.

“It is a frightening time in our history. But in spite of that reality — or rather, in response to that reality — over five million people here in the US, along with allies in cities from London to Tokyo, stood united today in the belief that democracy is worth fighting for.,”

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