With carnivalesque flair, the “No Kings” rally in Grant Park drew thousands of people bearing colorful posters, international flags, and pro-democracy slogans Saturday afternoon.
Near the Art Institute of Chicago, a man identifying himself as Dave T. wore a sparkly green suit and top hat while holding a pink sign that read: “Abolish ICE.” He’s been to many rallies before, but this was the first time he wore the sequined carnival-like outfit. He hoped it would remind people that democracy is a “celebration,” he said.
“It’s a celebration of shine and sparkle. It should be a dance and democracy has been one of the greatest,” said Dave, 70, holding back tears as people stopped to take photos and compliment the Chicagoan’s fit.
He was among thousands of demonstrators taking part in rallies across the U.S. and in Europe, with more than 3,100 events registered in all 50 states alone, according to the Associated Press. In the Chicago area, marches were planned in Aurora, Naperville, Western Springs and other communities to oppose Trump’s administration.
As people gathered near the podium at Butler Field before the march Saturday afternoon, folk music played loudly on speakers with choruses: “All you fascist people bound to lose.” Some sat on the grass to enjoy a snack in a picnic-like setting.
Some blew bubbles, others dressed in animal suits. Free whistles were handed out and volunteers in bright green vests helped direct traffic.
Many at the rally said they were there to stand against the recent U.S. war with Iran and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, among a slew of other issues like healthcare and women’s rights.
Evan Hoffman and his 11-month-old daughter bobbed their heads to the chanting at Butler Field. He had protested against the U.S-Iraq war years ago, and is now protesting the war in Iran, seeing parallels between the two.
“It’s the same thing with Iraq. We just feel like we can go over to a foreign country and do whatever we want,” said Hoffman, 43, who lives in Albany Park and held his daughter, Wren, in a baby sling across his chest.
He was also at the rally for fear that his daughter would grow up with fewer rights as a woman, such as the right to abortion.
“It’s just a complete mess. I’m worried about the world and the country my daughter is going to end up growing up in and the rights that she’s losing each day as a woman,” said Hoffman, a high school teacher in Edgewater.
Hours before the “No Kings” rally officially began, people from across the Chicagoland area streamed into Grant Park carrying handmade signs, wearing anti-Trump regalia and blasting protest music that echoed through the park and surrounding areas.
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Arriving at Butler Field with her family and a close friend around 11:45 a.m., Katie Bruli, 30, came from the Elgin area, saying she has attended each “No Kings” protest in Chicago. She carried a sign listing campaign promises she believes President Donald Trump has reversed since taking office, including pledges to lower grocery prices and avoid foreign conflicts.
“Everything (Trump) has ran on has been a broken promise and now he’s endangering tens of thousands of lives, possibly millions, with this war,” Bruli said. “That’s not even to mention ICE and everyone they’ve bullied.”
Chicago’s rally kicked off at 1:30 p.m. at Butler Field in Grant Park. In a city that served last fall as ground zero for Trump’s mass deportation campaign, it was expected to highlight “attacks on immigrants and our democracy” as well as opposition to the war in Iran.
One issue that weighs heavily on Bruli’s mind is cuts to Medicaid. As a recipient herself, Bruli said she fears potential policy changes could leave her without coverage. “I’m not going to have any help next year, and that’s kind of terrifying,” she said.
Among the early arrivals, motivations for attending varied widely, but many shared a sense of urgency.
Leslie Travis, 75, walked along the Jackson Boulevard bridge toward the rally, adorning her hand-made No King’s apron. At its center was a yellow crown stitched with black, glittering lines crossing it out.
A South Side resident, Travis said she has been active in protests since moving to Chicago in 1968. She pointed to increased media coverage and the city’s response, such as adding public transit service and providing police protection for demonstrators, as evidence that public pressure can make an impact.
As a breast cancer survivor whose mother also survived the disease, Travis said her activism intensified at the beginning of Trump’s second term when federal funding for certain medical research programs was reduced.
“My mother and I were both in the same research study, generations apart. She did not die of cancer. I am not going to die of cancer because of the research studies that helped us,” Travis said. “But the idea that there are people who should be living through medical research studies and are going to die because funding has been just totally cut off is unconscionable.”
Since then, her concerns have broadened. She said she is particularly troubled by potential rollbacks to laws protecting diversity and Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs.
“The idea that the administration is trying to cut back diversity, equity and inclusion measures for women, for Latinos, for Black women, for Brown women, for people of color makes no sense to me,” Travis said.
Also amongst the new arrivals, April, 59, and Greg Hamilton, 65, were concerned with many issues, including rising gas prices, the war in Iran, women’s rights and the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require additional verification for voting, which April Hamilton believed could disenfranchise many eligible voters.
Residents of Logan Square, the married couple said they both have served in the military, April in the Army and Greg in the Marines.
“When you serve in the military, you have a deep commitment to the United States and the democracy and the Constitution,” April Hamilton said. “The commander-in-chief is supposed to uphold the Constitution, and he is not doing that right now.”
“I liked serving my country, and I was proud to be here,” Greg Hamilton added. “But the moment that Trump got elected the first time, it just all went downhill.”
The couple began protesting years ago when their son, Corey Hamilton, now 27, encouraged them to get involved in activism during President Trump’s first term.
“I’m hoping that we have twice as many people as we had the last time now that people see what’s going on,” April said. “It’s time for people to stand up and take a stand against all this.”
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Amid the sea of people at Butler Field Saturday, retired first-grade and kindergarten school teacher Ronda Howley couldn’t help but get emotional.
Wearing a “No Kings” cap over her blonde hair and carrying a Miss Piggy sign superimposed with U.S. President Trump’s face, Howley came to the rally to support democracy and public school education.
“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” said Howley, 58, who choked up every so often, and drove down to Grant Park from southwest suburban Hickory Hills with her neighbors. “We’ve been through hard times before in America, and we’ve always come out, but we can’t stand by and let it happen to us. We have to be a part of it.”
Howley, who has been a public school teacher in Illinois for 33 years, hoped critical thinking skills and the values of kindness would not be lost among younger generations.
“I always tried to do that in my classroom,” Howley said. “Respect, kindness, those things…I’m afraid that might go away.