Residents march down Main Street in Beacon
Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks and plazas across the U.S. on Saturday (June 14), including in Beacon, to protest the policies of President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and small towns, blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights.
Organizers of the “No Kings” demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Governors across the U.S. had urged calm and vowed no tolerance for violence, while some mobilized the National Guard ahead of marchers gathering.
In Beacon, hundreds of protesters gathered at Veterans Place to hear speakers, then marched down Main Street to Polhill Park, where demonstrations continued.
Beacon (Photos by Ross Corsair)
Elsewhere, boisterous crowds marched, danced, drummed and chanted shoulder-to-shoulder in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles, some behind “no kings” banners.
Trump was in Washington, D.C., for a military parade marking the Army’s 250th anniversary that coincides with the president’s birthday. About 200 protesters assembled in northwest Washington’s Logan Circle.
In New York City, marchers in the crowd that stretched for blocks along Fifth Avenue had diverse reasons for coming, including anger over Trump’s immigration policies, support for the Palestinian people and outrage over what they said was an erosion of free speech rights.
New York City (Photos by Associated Press)
But there were patriotic symbols, too. Leah Griswold, 32, and Amber Laree, 59, who marched in suffragette white dresses, brought 250 American flags to hand out to people in the crowd.
“Our mothers who came out, fought for our rights, and now we’re fighting for future generations as well,” Griswold said.
Some protesters held signs denouncing Trump while others banged drums.
“We’re here because we’re worried about the existential crisis of this country and the planet and our species,” said Sean Kryston, 28.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Your piece on Beacon’s June 14 No Kings March appears to severely undercount the scale of the protest by stating “In Beacon, hundreds of protesters gathered…” After seeing this video of the march, I must agree with its title that “thousands” attended.