First off, I wore my “F**K E**N M**K” shirt, which I was hesitant to wear since those two drama queens started beefing and someone might think it was a pro-Trump statement, but I figured no on would make that mistake at an anti-Trump rally. Here was the front and back of my sign:
There was initially supposed to be one big rally, but one of the groups wanted to march and the other had a lot of older and those less capable of marching, so the groups splintered (because Democrats) and there was one from 11:30 to 1 by the highway in Elm Grove (a wheeling neighborhood). The second would start on Wheeling Island, march down and then across to the suspension bridge, then down the main drag of Wheeling to the elephant stature (I will explain later).
Here are some pics from the first rally:
It was completely peaceful and fun, although there was a sketchy dude and his wife in a Trump hat and he was acting weird so I sort of kept an eye on him for most of the time I was there. His wife looked like she wanted to start hollering at one point but eventually they fucked off and other than a couple of jackasses rolling coal it was uneventful.
I then drove over to the downtown protest meetup, well, technically the place where the march was to conclude and there would be speakers. The march actual started on Wheeling Island. Here is the elephant statue:
If you look closely, the pipe in the foreground is part of the statue and there is a little metal rodent with big ears looking out at you. At any rate, the elephant is a fairly recent addition to the downtown (which is all being remodeled and rejuvenated and looks so much better), and it is there to commemorate when the barnum and bailey circus would set up on Wheeling Island, and they would march the elephants across the suspension bridge and parade them through downtown in a big event that was super popular back in the day.
At any rate, after the march concluded, they assembled for some speakers, and the speakers spoke and people cheered and cars driving by wrre honking support or giving us the finger, and eventually I crossed the street and took this picture for you:
At this point I was three hours+ in and starting to be “OVER IT” if you know any cranky old men, but I felt like I was there I should stay, so I walked about 50 yards down the street on the same side as the protest, and stood and just did a one man protest for a half hour or so. Just standing there by my lonesome in my cop shades and my Fuck Elon Musk shirt, khaki shorts and hiking boots with wool socks, holding a sign that says “I hate crowds but I hate nazis more.” People were driving by and slowing down and laughing and if they tried to take a picture I flipped it to the side that said “Seriously this sucks.” A piece of one man performance art/defiance.
After a bit I sodded off down to the pride celebration, helped the Democratic women set up their booth and checked all the arts and crafts, then went home. I am pooped. Oh, here was my favorite sign:
Overall, it was a great day. Hundreds at the first event and several hundred at the second one and lots of people at pride. Lot of Pride flags interspersed with everything and, by WV standards, a very diverse group. Good work, PEOPLE!
That shooting in Minnesota is awful. Right now it sounds like someone shot them because they voted with the Republicans on something. We’ll see. (Deleted because details have changed radically since I checked in on it. Latest can be found here.) Horrible regardless the motive. Too many fucking crazy people with guns.
*** Update ***
Apparently I was caught on film by the local marcher facebook feed:
Fucking portrait of fitness there. At least I am tan. That was when I was up at the top of the rally after crossing the street to take the picture above. I stood there for a while before moving down to the middle of the pack for a bit then down the hill by myself. I’ve noticed that if you stand in the same place too long at these events people get comfortable with your presence and far too many of them think that means you are inviting them to talk to you. Even though you have not said anything and have the mannerism of a cornered animal. So you just move around a lot until you find a slightly less populated place where someone else is hiding and then you stand there in silence.
At any rate, fun day.
chemiclord
From recent developments, it looks like the shooter was your “typical” white male Evangelical type, so it seems extremely unlikely that he shot them for siding with his God King.
Azhrie139
Un, no. Looks like a republican. Suspect in Minnesota Shooting Linked to Security Company, Evangelical Ministry | WIRED
Sister Golden Bear
You’re a good man Cole.
I’m having a weird low blood pressure episode—don’t worry I’m monitoring it closely—and have been feeling lightheaded at times, so I’m have to skip the local protests. Which is annoying AF But there’s been huge turnout at the numerous protests here in the SF Bay Area.
Also too, NO KINGS EXCEPT DRAG KINGS!
E.
People suck at protesting where I’m from. (Bible belt). A lot showed up, but I was the only one who brought drums! You can’t have a protest without drums.
Mr. Bemused Senior
John, you look great, that haircut really works.
trollhattan
FBI wanted poster for the Minnesota assassin. A little surprised the director didn’t slow walk this so as to not divert attention from Donny’s love parade.
cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-shootings-manhunt-06-14-25#cmbwpqxfd00053b6mxct2w39n
Dude has spent some quality time in the smorgasbord line.
Old School
I like how Bert doesn’t look happy.
Matt McIrvin
The people who perform political assassinations often have strange muddled ideologies, so don’t be surprised if it makes little sense and is hard to fit into a partisan box.
Baud
Glad you decided to go.
Miki
No. That is NOT why they were murdered/assassinated.
I’m reluctant to post this because someone inevitably will misinterpret it, but here’s the story about Hortman’s heartbreaking vote.
Suzanne
Downtown Pittsburgh’s event was peaceful, well-attended, well-planned, and the weather held out. A great day to tell the orange fucker what I think of him.
Baud
A little concerning they haven’t caught the guy yet even though his identity is out there.
Don L
John, you probably didn’t see my suggestion for you. Farming Simulator 2025. It’s the most addictive game I’ve played since Banished. I can’t stop playing. You’d love it, sitting on a tractor and not leaving the house. My perfect game.
John Cole
@Baud: probably means he is dead somewhere by his own hand
prostratedragon
Good turnout in your town, John, and I like your one-man protest. And also the town elephant; good design, because the upspout clicked right away.
John Cole
@Don L: I will check it out.
They Call Me Noni
@John Cole: Hadn’t thought of that, but it does make sense. Chicken shit coward way out.
John Cole
@Miki: I fixed it, I should not have even mentioned it because it is so early. Bad judgment.
Miki
@Miki:
Perfect description of the loss of Hortman:
MobiusKlein
Thanks for representing Democratic values in WV, and letting us share it with you
Miki
@John Cole: Thank you.
Aziz, light!
People who knew the shooter said he was filled with holiness. Now the people he didn’t like are full of holes.
Baud
Zelma
Went to the protest at the county seat of my pretty red county in NJ. I was stunned at the turnout. Pretty sure there were over significantly over 1000 people there. (The April protest drew about 250 and everyone thought it was a huge success then.) Doesn’t sound that big but it was in fact more than 1% of the county’s population. Imagine a million in NYC. I had a flag but no sign, being creatively incompetent. I had thought of the following: “First protest in 57 years!” Clearly not a big protest goer.
Jay
Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937
Good thing you just got a haircut. You’re representing us well.
Lyrebird
You inspired me, Cole!
The event I went to near Albany NY was very well attended. I will try to send pics. Should I send them to WaterGirl I guess?
Creative slogans included:
I like my ICE crushed (spoken in passing, most signs were No Kings etc)
Keep your little baby hands off OUR public lands
Orange lies matter
The only throne he’s fit for: (with a cutout of a toilet and a roll of TP attached)
and a fave:
Nobody’s safe until everybody’s safe
Redshift
Great job, JRC, you do you!
My friend came in from Martinsburg WV so we could go to a protest here together. (There was one in Martinsburg, too; she did one there for May Day.) She saw at least ten bridge protests on her way in, and while I was driving the ten minutes from my house to our protest location, I passed two additional protests that weren’t among the 2000 registered on the No Kings site.
This thing was massive.
cmorenc
Just returned from No Kings rally in Raleigh NC on the old state capitol grounds – several thousand people (enough to densely fill one half of the spacious capitol grounds and sidewalk next to three busy streets) plus most of the stream passing cars honked and gave thumbs up. No counter-protestors nor jackasses driving by trying to be disrespectfully disruptive with any obnoxious loud noises or gestures.
However, driving both to and from the rally, the Minnesota shooter story is dominating news coverage of the nationwide NK rallies, the result of which is a mixed bag – it’s bad publicity for RW radicalism but detracts from coverage of developing mass resistance to Trump.
Elizabelle
I have been texting photos from the Richmond Virginia no Kings on the Capitol grounds to WaterGirl. Please let her know. Thank you
zhena gogolia
Haha, that picture of you is so beautiful!
We stood in once place for 30 minutes and everyone we knew came by and talked to us. Current minister, former minister, 10-15 colleagues, including one I haven’t seen in 10 years. You would have hated it!
Redshift
@Baud: Yeah, we just saw the coverage of the parade on the local news, and the crowd on the route looked about five or six deep. Pathetic, way less than even the Fourth of July will be.
WaterGirl
@Lyrebird: The easiest way to share you rally pics is to use the on the road form that’s in the sidebar.
WTFGhost
Man, you’re good at this.
FNWA
Just taking the train home from NYC. Massive turn out. It took 4 hours to walk from Bryant Park to Madison Square Park.
Baud
NotMax
@WTFGhost
I find lighting up a stogie to be an effective human deterrent. Works to keep the skeeters away, also too.
;)
Redshift
I didn’t get a lot of sign pictures because they were all facing the road, but some favorite signs/shirts were:
“I need to be able to tell my grandchildren I did not stay silent”
“Resisting Tyrants Since Pharaoh”
“Due Process for Everyone”
And a person wearing a USAID shirt and a hair clip shaped like a taco.
WTFGhost
As a side note, folks, if you see someone like that, and can rescue them from you, or someone else, by coming by and stopping conversation with “wow, you look almost too tired to talk do you need a break?” those of us in distress will thank you, and the rest will look at you funny, so, you know, you’re a heck of a lot more normal than I, so, you figure it out, but, set a good example, so others might learn vicariously. When someone is invited to conclude a conversation, and looks like a dehydrated person accepting a cup of water, it’s pretty obvious, to all those who can notice, that something good happened.
This might help other neurodivergent people – folks on the spectrum, for example. (Um. I’m a random guy you met on the internet; if you need to know for sure, ask some folks on the spectrum, before trusting me. It just sounds like the thing that might help some folks I knew, and, our difficulties (mine/those on the spectrum) are, in some areas, very similar.)
And if it became commonplace, it would be a clear invitation, to anyone pressing a point, to recognize maybe everyone else is uncomfortable.
chrisanthemama
Good on ya, Cole. “So bad even the introverts are here”–is my protest mantra. You showed up and showed out.
Omnes Omnibus
Something from Madison.
Look very closely at the umbrella. Or click on the alt text.
Another Scott
You did well, JC. And I’m sure the Democratic women greatly appreciated your help!
Best wishes,
Scott.
Marc
Just got back from our event here in Oakland on a nice day. We got to the location half an hour late, we were far from the last, and the march had already filled 3 to 4 traffic lanes for at least 10 blocks towards the turn onto Broadway. When we finally got to City Hall, the entire plaza and the adjacent streets were filled with people. I’d guess around 5000 people were in the plaza when we left 30 minutes later, and more marchers still filled the 5 blocks back to the turn. Well organized with lots of volunteers, no problems, no visible police (OPD is at the corner where the march turned). Lots of teenagers, young adults, families, and old folks like me. And, lots of dogs with signs.
Almost Retired
Mammoth Lakes CA rally just started. All ages, tons of American flags and roughly 500 people in a town of 7,000. No counter protestors or coal rollers. Favorite sign: “Childhood vaccines cause adults.” Very celebratory vibe ( it is in front of two dispensaries).
Hildebrand
Went to the No Kings march/rally in Traverse City, MI (my normie wife went, too) – a good event, excellent turnout (organizers said we were 7000 strong).
Kelly
The Salem OR No Kings rally was a jolly gathering. A few thousand people lined 4 blocks on each side of a street near the Oregon Capitol Building waving signs at each other and the passing cars. Capitol Building is under repairs so the usual spot on the Capitol grounds is unavailable. I was surprised at the constant stream of cars honking and waving their own signs. The crowd ranged from a dozen oldsters with walkers to children with their parents. Salem police hung around, closed a couple cross streets and were very polite. One asshole rolled coal but that was it for hostility.
Me: bsky.app/profile/northsantiam.bsky.social/post/3lrlwoz5qqs23
YY_Sima Qian
Extraordinary turnouts around the country, & especially for WV! Good reminder that there are plenty of Dems, or at least anti-Fascists, even in deep red states such as WV.
Anyway
Went to the march in Newark DE. Huge crowds lotsa signs all peaceful. Lots of younger folk too heard the earlier protests skewed older. Supportive honks from passing motorists — didn’t see any counter-protesters. I was on the fence about going but had to go after the horrific news about the MN killings
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@WTFGhost: Seen in several pictures of protests: “It’s so bad that even the introverts are out here.”
YY_Sima Qian
Meanwhile, from the other march (which I am not watching):
LOL at the lack of enthusiasm, & the corporate sponsorship (& especially the specific sponsors) seems out of a B movie satirizing dystopia.
Denali5
So glad you went, John. I went with a friend to a local rally; it was easy because everyone brought chairs, and there was no marching. There were plenty of NoKings signs, and cars passing by honked in solidarity. Everyone was in a good mood, and there was no violence. The organizers said there will be more rallies scheduled. People brought flags, large and small and it felt good to reclaim the flag!
Gretchen
@Sister Golden Bear: Yes, be careful if you’re feeling lightheaded. I have a friend who was experiencing that and fell and hurt her head. Better to be near things you can grab if you’re feeling woozy.