Ƶ the nationƵs capitol prepares for a massive military parade to mark the and President Donald TrumpƵs 79th birthday, organizers in several West Virginia cities are planning to mark the day with anti-Trump protests.
ƵNo Kings Day of ActionƵ rallies are planned for cities around the country, including Berkeley Springs, Bluefield, Buckhannon, Charleston, Elkins, Huntington and others.
The events are in response to what the organization calls Ƶincreasing authoritarian excesses and corruptionƵ from the president and allies.
ƵIn America, we donƵt do kings,Ƶ reads a statement on , the website for a grassroots organization made up of hundreds of local groups. ƵTheyƵve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.Ƶ
An estimated 200,000 attendees, 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft are expected for TrumpƵs military parade in Washington, D.C. Saturday, according to news reports. The spectacle will cost an estimated $45 million, including $16 million to repair the streets of D.C. following the event.
A spokesman for the West Virginia National Guard said Wednesday that the agency will not send personnel or equipment to participate in the military parade, but they do plan to send 200 members of the CERF-P team to support the National Capital Region, at its request, as part of the GuardƵs standing missing to support events of its size.
Trump has defended the cost of the event, calling it Ƶpeanuts compared to the value of doing it,Ƶ in a recent interview with NBC News.
ƵWe have the greatest missiles in the world,Ƶ Trump said. ƵWe have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And weƵre going to celebrate it.Ƶ
W.Va. responses, rally plans
To Dr. Kate Waldeck, one of the organizers for SaturdayƵs rally in Huntington, the parade is another example of the ƵmassiveƵ amount of money that Republicans want to divert from people who need it. The Trump-backed, Ƶbig, beautiful billƵ that passed the House of Representatives and is making its way through the Senate would cut billions in funding to Medicaid and food assistance to low-income Americans.
ƵWeƵre seeing, increasingly, that our social safety net is going to be stripped away,Ƶ Waldeck said. ƵAnd obviously, we hope that this political situation is temporary, but in the meantime, the reality is that weƵre going to have to build new networks for our people. So our theme for this [rally] is Ƶno kings,Ƶ but we are taking that and extending it to just to ... ƵNo kings, just community.ƵƵ
HuntingtonƵs event will include speakers, music, guided meditation for kids, bystander and Narcan training as well as a goods drive for LilyƵs Place, Harmony House and the local city mission, she said.
ƵWe want to have a good time with our community, and we want to show our neighbors, especially even the ones that donƵt feel safe coming to events like this, so people who are minorities or noncitizens, that weƵre thinking of them,Ƶ Waldeck said. She added that everyone is welcome at the nonpartisan, nonviolent protest event Ƶas long as they adhere to the ground rules of no racism, no homophobia and transphobia.Ƶ
Debra Kilgore of Mercer County Indivisible, is helping organize the event in Bluefield.
ƵI couldnƵt stay silent any longer,Ƶ Kilgore said of her reasons for protesting. ƵI couldnƵt hope that someone else will take care of these issues and make and hold our representatives accountable, because itƵs not happening, especially in our state, where we have our Republican representatives in the federal government who are going along with everything.
The Constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs, but theyƵve allowed Trump to Ƶrun the tariff show,Ƶ she said.
ƵTheyƵre letting it happen,Ƶ she said. ƵAnd so, watching, IƵll call them the enablers. I canƵt rely on somebody else to do something anymore.Ƶ
While Mercer County, like the rest of West Virginia, voted overwhelmingly to elect Trump to a second term, Kilgore said as the year wears on, sheƵs hearing from people that they no longer support the president.
ƵMore and more people are saying, ƵYou know, I may have voted for Trump, but I didnƵt expect this,ƵƵ she said. ƵOr people who never voted for Trump but in this area are afraid to say ƵIƵm not a Trump voter,Ƶ are starting to make their presence known.Ƶ
No Kings rally inspired by recent events
The events Saturday come as protests against TrumpƵs immigration policies continue in Los Angeles.
The Trump administration is sending nearly 5,000 National Guard troops and Marines to the city, against the wishes of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called TrumpƵs move a Ƶbrazen abuse of power,Ƶ according to news reports.
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard across the state as more demonstrations are expected there Wednesday.
ƵPeaceful protest is legal,Ƶ Abbott wrote on the social media platform X. ƵHarming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. [The Texas National Guard] will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.Ƶ
Waldeck said sheƵs concerned about the National Guard being deployed to respond to protests against NewsomƵs will, but sheƵs not concerned about the protests themselves becoming violent.
ƵWe are aware of the national situation obviously, and [host organization] 50501 is unwavering in its commitment to peaceful protest, so we will have event staff there trained in de-escalation in the event there are counter protestors et cetera,Ƶ Waldeck said.
Cindy Stemple, chair of the , said the event theyƵre planning for Elkins will be a Ƶpeaceful celebration of our country and flag.Ƶ The event will feature speakers and musicians. Anyone who wants to sing or play an instrument will be allowed to do so.
ƵI think the protests are generally going to be peaceful unless Trump and everybody incites the people,Ƶ Stemple said. ƵThatƵs kind of my feeling. Now, IƵm not in L.A., I donƵt know. IƵm not in Texas. IƵm not in D.C., but when you have somebody threatening a first right, First Amendment right, which is a right to peaceful protest, thereƵs a problem.Ƶ
Stemple said SaturdayƵs event will be the Elkins community eighth anti-Trump and Ƶpro-DemocracyƵ rally. At each one, theyƵve also collected donations for community needs like flood relief for Southern West Virginia or contributions to the local food pantry, she said.
ƵWe are trying to do something good most every time that we hold one of these Ƶ and I call it a celebration,Ƶ she said. ƵWe become friends [and] allies just standing up for our country and enjoying the time together.Ƶ
