More than a thousand people lined Main Street in front of City Hall in Heber City on Saturday morning at one of a dozen No Kings rallies in Utah and 2,500 across the country.
Toting signs displaying slogans like “No Kings,” “I showed up because I love America,” and “You’re fired, Donald,” demonstrators cheered for honking cars and shouts of support from passers-by.
On the corner of W 100 N and Main Street, Nina Frei, 18, and Solea Wood, 15, sang.
“From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters, this land was made for you and me,” sang Frei and Wood, harmonizing with fellow protester Christine Havener.
As Havener paused to look up the next verse of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” Frei and Wood said they wanted to show up in Heber City to peacefully protest.
“I think it’s important that people can come reach for community and spread the word,” Frei said.
Frei added that although she and Wood are young women who “aren’t at direct risk,” attending the No Kings rally in Heber City showed support for others. The pair traveled from Park City to attend the protest. In June, both attended the No Kings rally in Salt Lake City.
“I think it’s important to remember our community members who are fearing ICE and losing health care,” Frei said.
“I think it’s important to show that it affects everyone,” Wood added, holding up a sign that said, “Immigrants pay taxes, billionaires don’t.”
Havener, holding a “No Kings” sign, agreed. She recalled her family history — that her ancestors traveled to the United States on the Mayflower in 1620 from Plymouth, England, to leave a monarchy.
“I don’t want to live in a world where we can’t do this,” Havener said about the demonstration.
Farther along the line, Tammy Woodward danced in a blow-up unicorn costume holding a glittery, colorful “No Kings” sign in her pink, puffy paws. Asked why she chose to don the costume, Woodward replied that she hoped to be a bearer of joy at an otherwise “serious” event.
“Where’s the joy?” Woodward said with a laugh. “It’s really hard to fight with joy. They don’t know how to respond to ridiculous. They don’t have room for it.”
But when it came down to why she was protesting, Woodward pushed back her horned hood and got down to the issues.
“I am protesting because I think that our current president wishes he was a king and I do not agree with that,” Woodward emphasized. “I do not like the vilification that’s going on on both sides.”
As she began to explain her distaste for the Utah Republican Party’s campaign to repeal Proposition 4, the state’s redistricting law, and eliminate the updated congressional map, Woodward turned suddenly to see another unicorn — a green one — dancing toward her.
“My friend!” she cheered at the stranger, explaining that she did not know the individual personally.
Across the street, two more blow-up unicorns danced as cars drove by honked in support. A man in a feathered bald eagle costume quickly joined in, followed by another individual in a bald eagle mask.
“Democracy should not be a unicorn,” Woodward said.
Ellen Guthrie agreed. Guthrie took inspiration from demonstrators in Portland who dressed as frogs while protesting President Donald Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops into the streets of the Oregon city.
Dressed as a frog and wearing a sparkling crown, Guthrie said she felt the No Kings protests make the views of those opposed to the Trump administration’s policies more visible.
“It’s important to speak out,” Guthrie said. “And it actually gives courage to others.”
Rick Harding, standing next to Guthrie, agreed. Harding said his first protest was during the administration of President Richard Nixon in 1970. Most recently, Harding attended the June No Kings protest in Salt Lake City when bystander Arthur Flasa Ah Loo, 39, was shot and killed by a volunteer peacekeeper.
Though he was not close to the shooting, Harding decided to protest in Heber City rather than Salt Lake City on Saturday.
“I’m not scared,” Guthrie said. “I grew up in Wyoming, and Wyoming gave women the first opportunity to vote. I know that was my great grandmother. I won’t step down.”
Perched on a small stone wall outside of the Heber City Administration Building, Kevin and Lisa Allan of Midway stood with their “No Kings” signs.
“We both used to be Republicans until Trump came into office in his first term,” Kevin said.
“We were just horrified at the fact that his values don’t represent what we thought was aligned with the Republican Party,” Lisa added.
The pair said they switched political parties in the last election. Now, Kevin said he is registered as independent. The No Kings protest shows that there are “still reasonable, civil people in this country” who will stand up and say “no,” he said.
He referenced the crowd. About two-thirds of the demonstrators were over the age of 40.
“Republicans are painting a false picture of the anti-Trump movement. We’re not a bunch of elitist young rebels,” Kevin said. “We’re the generation that built the America we have today.”
Lisa agreed, adding that the No Kings protests “bring people out of the woodwork” to show a united group of individuals with similar beliefs.
“This will end when enough of us say no,” Kevin said. “We’re here to say ‘no.’”