A nationwide wave of anti-Trump protests is set to sweep across the country this weekend, and Bartlesville will take part. Locals will gather in downtown Bartlesville at Unity Square on June 14 for a “No Kings” demonstration, joining a national day of action. Homemade signs depicting contempt for the Trump administration were paraded up and down Church Street at the June 10 LA to Burlington anti-ICE protest.
The protest, which is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., lands on Flag Day, the U.S. Army’s birthday, celebrated with a military parade in Washington, D.C., which also happens to be President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Army estimated the parade’s cost to be between $30 million and $45 million, including up to $16 million for infrastructure repairs resulting from the use of heavy military equipment, such as the 140,000-pound Abrams tanks. Trump dismissed the expense as “peanuts” during a recent interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press."
Nearly 2,000 ‘No Kings’ protests to challenge Trump The “No Kings” movement brands itself as a defiant rejection of authoritarianism, with approximately 2,000 protests planned in towns and cities across the country. Its message? That democracy is not a show of tanks and muscle orchestrated from the top, but a grassroots force rising from the bottom.
"They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights and slashed our services," the No Kings website states. "The corruption has gone too far. No thrones.
No crowns. No kings." The movement follows April’s “Hands Off!” demonstrations and a string of escalating protests, including recent rallies in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers are betting that a visible show of resistance across the country, especially in smaller towns like Bartlesville, will serve as a counterpoint to what they view as the Trump-aligned spectacle unfolding in D.C. Bartlesville organizers emphasize nonviolence and unity The local protest is being organized by the Washington County Democratic Party and Bartlesville Alliance in partnership with Indivisible. Angela Utley, chair of the county Democratic Party, urged attendees to register in advance on Mobilize, citing safety planning and the possibility of last-minute location changes. Keegan Waters, co-organizer with the Bartlesville Alliance, welcomes anyone who wishes to join the protest, provided they are sincerely protesting the Trump administration and agree with the principles of nonviolent action and de-escalation of potential confrontations.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers emphasized that weapons of any kind — even if legally permitted — are not allowed. While Trump plans to celebrate the U.S. military with a D.C. parade, critics see it as more of a campaign rally draped in camouflage. "June 14 is also the U.S. Army’s birthday — a day that marks when Americans first organized to stand up to a king," organizers said in a public statement.
"Trump isn’t honoring that legacy. He’s hijacking it to celebrate himself." The event’s name — “No Kings” — is a direct rebuke of what organizers call an increasingly authoritarian style of leadership.
They said that power has been concentrated in the executive branch under Trump, undermining courts, laws and democratic norms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indivisible, the progressive group behind the movement, formed in the wake of Trump’s 2016 election and has since grown into a nationwide network of activists pushing for systemic change and inclusive democracy. "This country doesn’t belong to a king — and we’re not letting him throw himself a parade funded by tens of millions of our taxpayer dollars while stealing from us and stripping away our rights, our freedoms and the programs our families rely on," organizers said in a public statement.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville protest to join national anti-Trump 'No Kings' movement
