REGIONAL— A chilly northwest wind didn’t discourage North Country residents, who turned out by the hundreds and thousands in communities all across the region last Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” event, to protest the policies and actions of the Trump administration.
More than 500 people lined Sheridan St. along Whiteside Park in Ely to make their collective voices heard. And they were encouraged by dozens of passing motorists, who kept up a steady stream of honking in support of the protesters.
Many more communities sponsored “No Kings” protests on Saturday than back in June, with over 2,500 held across the country, including protests in Cook, Virginia, Chisholm, Grand Rapids, Two Harbors, Cloquet, Duluth, Grand Marais, and International Falls.
Saturday’s protest in Ely was significantly larger than during last June’s event, suggesting that frustration with the president and his perceived authoritarian overreach is building. And while the June protest in Ely included a handful of counter protesters, none were apparent this time around.
A handful of passing motorists appeared to respond negatively to the protests. A few noisily revved their engines and sped up as they passed by the crowd, and some of those were stopped by state patrol officers who were monitoring the protests.
One Ely protester, who identified himself as Michael, agreed with many others in the crowd that it was a long list of concerns that brought him out to protest. “It’s big things,” he said. “Like government overreach, tax cuts to billionaires, funding ICE, defunding education, defunding science, and putting people that don’t know what they’re doing in cabinet positions. I would say just doing the opposite of making us great again.”
Many others cited concerns about cuts to health care along with Trump’s use of troops to rough up protesters in major cities.
Scott Mills, who was born and raised in Ely, said the Ely schools did a good job of teaching about civics and government back in his day, which has helped him to recognize the dangers posed by Trump’s actions. “We learned about the history of fascism in our parents’ generation. This has remarkably similar traits,” he said, referring to the current administration.
Kim McCluskey, who held a large sign with the message “Be Kind,” said he was there to talk about how we treat one another in our current political moment. “I wanted something that didn’t have an issue that could divide, because I think there are unkind people on both sides,” he said.
At the protest in Cook, Sue Gustafson stood at the corner of River St. and Vermilion Dr. with a sign, “Protect Our Constitution,” directing traffic to Veterans Riverfront Park where protesters assembled. The gathering spot had been moved there out of respect for a funeral at Mlaker Funeral Home.
“How did this happen so quickly?” Gustafson asked, expressing alarm at the apparent descent of the country into authoritarianism. “I thought we had more protections in place. And I can’t just blame Trump. It’s the Republicans. They’re not stopping him. They’re supposed to be there to take care of our country, and they’re not listening to the people.”
In the park, the crowd milled around while waiting for the protest to begin. Kristen Wesloh, who with her husband Kyle moved to Cook this summer from Maryland, described why it was important to be involved.
“Really to show that there are people all across America in all types of communities who oppose the Trump administration and how awfully he is treating the people of this country,” she said.
The Cook vibe was different from protests in Maryland, Kyle Wesloh said.
“What I’m seeing here are friends and neighbors who are caring about each other,” he said. “On the East Coast it was large groups of people who didn’t necessarily know each other fighting for a cause. But these are people who are worried about health care, they’re worried about their local hospital, they’re worried about dental care and being able to afford just the basics in life for each other.”
By the time the group began the walk to Hwy. 53 to stand and protest, over 100 people had joined the group. They crowded in along the sidewalk between River St. and 1st St. E, waving signs to catch the attention of passers-by, and were acknowledged with waves and honking horns.
The “No Kings” protest drew sizable crowds in other North Country communities. As many as 5,000 reportedly showed up in Duluth, while an estimated 1,500 turned out in Grand Marais. An estimated 700 turned out in Virginia, and more than 500 protested in Two Harbors.
Across the country, “No Kings” organizers said more than seven million Americans turned out, which would make it one of the largest, if not the largest, one-day protest in American history. Protesters decried what they saw as centralized executive power under Donald Trump, citing use of the National Guard in cities, immigration raids, and other policies they believe have eroded democratic norms.
The White House response was dismissive and mocking. Trump said, without evidence, that the rallies were orchestrated by “radical left groups.” Meanwhile, Trump’s social-media account posted an AI-generated video showing Trump wearing a crown and flying a fighter jet, named King Trump, over an American city, where he appeared to drop gigantic loads of feces on peaceful protesters.