SWAMPSCOTT — A sea of protestors and activists gathered on Humphrey Street for the “No Kings on King’s Beach” protest, to take part in a series of national protests and make a united stand against the Trump Administration.
The protest was hosted by North Shore Indivisible, a grassroots progressive group that’s committed to “building a powerful, inclusive movement that amplifies the voices of everyday people in our community,” according to its mission statement online.
Crowds lined up along Humphrey Street holding signs that read messages like, “Rejecting Kings Since 1776,” “No Kings, No Idiots Either,” and “Dump Trump.” Cars driving by that supported the cause honked to cheer on the crowds, and when one driver drove past and began to heckle the protestors, the crowd collectively booed the driver as they went on their way.
According to an article published by NPR on Sunday, there were an estimated 5 million people who participated in more than 2,000 planned protests across the country on Saturday. According to an article published by WCVB Channel 5, the Boston Pride rally and the No Kings rally organizers said more than 1 million people showed up Saturday on the Boston Commons to “celebrate the LGBTQ community and democracy.”
“There’s nowhere to start… But what we’re going through in this country, the people that live here, every group — women, LGBTQ, our immigrants, are what make our country wonderful. And the way they’re being treated, it’s just not right,” One attendee, Laura Spethanas, said. “We have to resist it and show that this is what America wants. We have to show the people affected by all this that we care about them.”
Another attendee, Diane O’Brien, shared her thoughts on why the stand against the Trump Administration was a crucial demonstration of community.
“These are neighbors, our friends, the people that we live in a community with… They are not criminals, they’re people looking for the American Dream,” O’Brien said. “Like my parents, and my grandparents who came from Ireland. They did what they needed to do for the best of their families — they don’t deserve to be villainized.”
Mission For Hope, Inc. Funder and Executive Director Leighton O’Connor also attended the event to show his support for the cause.
“As a pastor, I’m here to support a peaceful expression of our shared values — truth, justice and dignity — of every person… While my church does not take political sides, we do care greatly about what’s right, and stand with those seeking accountability and transparency in leadership,” O’Connor said. “Our presence here is about compassion and community. … But with that being said, I’m very concerned about what’s happening in our national parks and public lands, as well as things that many people rely on, like food benefits, Medicare and social security.”
U.S. Rep Seth Moulton made an appearance at the event as the guest speaker, where he gave a heartfelt speech to the crowd outside Town Hall. The crowd began chanting his name as he approached the stand in Linscott Park to speak to the charged audience — and he had to wait a second for the applause to die down before he could start.
“Just a reminder, folks, this has not been a normal week,” Moulton joked. “This is not normal, America… This is not what we are about — but what we are about is standing up and fighting back.
“There are a lot of amazing signs here, but my favorite is the one from a 92-year-old behind me, that says: ‘I’m too old for this crap,’” he said.
“America has also never been a country that’s always gotten it right — we’re a work in progress, but we’re always a country that believes that we ‘might,’ and it’s always taken volunteers, every day Americans to stand up for their rights, that freedom for all. No matter who you are, or what you look like.”
Moulton continued, “We stand up for the truth, we fight for the truth, and we’ll continue to fight every single day… As a veteran, there’s a birthday parade going on in D.C. right now. Let me tell you one thing about the troops — they don’t sign up to march in parades.
“I’m so proud of our military, and I’ve never had more military officers come to me and say, ‘I’m thinking about resigning my commission, because I may have to disobey an unlawful order from the commander-and-chief,’’ he said. “A commander-and-chief that has disregarded his oath to the Constitution of the United States, an oath that I’ve taken twice in my life. … Not to a president. Not to a dictator. Not to a king.”
He continued, saying that the countless people who showed up “may have a lesson to teach Donald Trump about kings… We here in New England remember a few things about kings.”
“We remind every American that we stand together with American values — this is what America is about,” Moulton said. “When I look out today, and I see the bright future of America. …. A country that we want to leave for our kids, that’s even better than the America today…. That stands up as a city on a hill, like a light for the rest of the world. That’s the America that we’re fighting for.
“I stand with you Lynn, I stand with you Swampscott — I stand with you as you stand up to kings. … I stand with you as we fight for everyone. I stand up with you and fight for patriotism, for the American flag, for American values. … You’re the ones that deserve the thanks. You’re the volunteers — you are the great Americans,” Moulton said as the crowd once again erupted into applause.
