Love of country brought people like Nancy and Fred Cross of Ingleside, as well as former state Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, to a “No Kings” rally in Gurnee — one of three in Lake County over the weekend.
They had different concerns, but their message was the same.
“This is my third rally,” Nancy Cross said. “It is uplifting to be here with all these people. I feel like I have to do something about saving our democracy. I love my country.”
“I’ve been a lawyer for 35 years, and I’ve never seen so many people (in power) who have not learned the basic principles of our Constitution,” added Fred Cross, Nancy’s husband. “I’m seeing them violated every day.”
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Bush was holding a sign reading, “We love America, that’s why we’re here.” She said there is a lot of division across the nation. She wants to see people work to preserve the country’s democratic principles and get away from what she believes is the beginning of “one-party rule.”
The Crosses and Bush were among more than 14,500 people at “No Kings” rallies demonstrating for their concept of American principles at events Saturday in Gurnee, Highland Park and Buffalo Grove, criticizing what many consider the growing authoritarianism of President Donald Trump and his administration.
Demonstrators lined three blocks of Grand Avenue on both sides of the street, as well as the parkway separating the roadway from the sidewalk. They also stood holding their signs along a block on both sides of Hunt Club Road.
When the first “No Kings” rally was held nationwide in June, more than 8.500 people participated in the same towns. The number of people there this time grew more than 40% to 14,500 in the four months between the two events.
In June, 4,500 came to a rally across from the Gurnee Mills shopping center, around 2,500 were at the event near the Highland Park City Hall and more than 1,500 in Buffalo Grove. This time, there more than 10,000 in Gurnee, 3,000 in Highland Park and 1,500 in Buffalo Grove.
With approximately 100,000 rallying and marching near downtown Chicago, there were “No Kings” rallies in a number of other suburbs. Similar events were held across the country.
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, mingled with the crowd in Gurnee listening to their concerns. He spoke to the people in Highland Park. He was at the Gurnee rally in June. He said he has seen a difference in the ensuing four months.
“I see younger families now,” he said in Gurnee. “The families you see here who love our country will secure our future. There are more people here with a lot of energy, and an unrequited love for our country and our future.”
Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash, who helped organize the rallies — she attended the one in Highland Park, and another in Arlington Heights — said in a text Sunday that Trump is “ignoring the Constitution and is pushing dangerous policies.”
“People are fed up and want to make their voices heard,” she said. “They want to be able to tell their children and grandchildren they were on the right side of history against this profoundly un-American, authoritarian regime.”
Keith Brin, the chair of the Laike County Republican Central Committee, said in a text Sunday the protestors around Lake County have the wrong target. With the federal government shutdown about to enter its third week, the people on the streets need to complain about services put on hold.
“Military families aren’t getting paid, farmers aren’t getting support and air travel is put at risk all for partisan political games,” he said. “These protesters need to demand Senate Democrats vote for the clean resolution so we can get the government back working for the people.”
Speaking to the crowd in Highland Park, Schneider said the country and the government are all about the people as it has been for nearly 250 years of the nation’s existence. He called the Constitution, “the greatest document in the history of political documents.”
“What are the first words of our great nation?” Schneider asked the crowd. “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident,’ We know these truths are created by the people, for the people and of the people.
“The foundation of the country that has given us all the freedoms that we took for granted, and now stand to defend, (starts with), ‘We the people.’ All of us here and at all the ‘No Kings’ rallies across the country are sending a message — We are the people.”
Ben Glassberg of Fox Lake said at the Gurnee rally he was concerned about Trump when he was first running for president in 2016. With the current operation to find undocumented immigrants and other policies, he said the president has gone too far.
Joan Zahnle of Highland Park was one of the organizers of the rally in her city. She said the crowd Saturday was not only bigger than at past rallies, but like the crowd Schneider described in Gurnee, it was more representative of the community.
“We had babies and great-grandmothers,” Zahnle said. “There were a lot of young people in their 30s and 40s with children who were 6, 7 and 8. I never saw that many young people here before.”
Lake County Board member Marah Altenberg, D-Buffalo Grove, was the organizer of the rally in her village. She said the people came from towns throughout the county. For them, it was also about love of country.
“People from Lake County, like myself, care deeply about preserving our democracy,” Altenberg said. “Many see our Constitution at risk. Following our Constitution is the ultimate act of patriotism.”
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The baiduhai and the Associated Press contributed to this story.