Parkites came out again Saturday to protest the Trump administration in a No Kings rally, only not so much in Park City.
In June protesters gathered at the I-80 overpass in Kimball Junction. This time rally-goers caught rides to join fellow citizens in Salt Lake City and Heber City.
Suzanne Odell, a member of the Pro-Active Alliance and protest coordinator, met with others beforehand at the Jeremy Park and Ride and Quinn’s Junction to create signs and coordinate car pools. While the atmosphere at the gatherings was energetic, it was more subdued than in June.
“I think people are a little more cautious to get out,” said Odell. We have had some violence here in Utah that’s a little scary. But I think now, more than ever, we can’t be afraid to come out and show what we believe — which is that we support democracy and we support America.”
Park City resident Jim Edmunds, attended the rally in June and was headed to one Saturday.
“Everyone needs to get personally involved,” he said. “In my 80 years, I have never seen anything like this. Give me my country back, please!”
This sense of urgency and vexation was palpable among the crowd at Jeremy Ranch.
“I wanted to show support for this movement and to show that not everyone is happy with what’s going on,” Eric Morgan said. “There are a lot of frustrated people — more than some may have thought.”
The sentiment was widely shared.
The sentiment was repeated by many in the group.
“I think it’s important to show people that may not realize what’s happening with our company what is really happening,” Park City resident Scott Bonz said. “The system that provides checks and balances is not providing those checks and balances. We have a Supreme Court that is unwilling to stand up to the current administration and we have a legislature branch that won’t do anything. This is a tremendous threat to our country and democracy.”
“There are too many norms that have been violated,” said Chris Donnelly, who was protesting with his wife, Linsly.
Ross Heaton, former assistant police chief in West Covina, California, went further.
“I’m really concerned about the future of our country. There is a mad man in the White House surrounded by a bunch of sycophants and he’s turning our country into what Germany was in the 1930s. The people that claim to be police officers working for ICE are just like storm troopers,” he said. “I was a law enforcement officer for 33 years and I can see trends that are coming and I’m frightened by the direction our country is going in.”
As to claims the No Kings demonstrations are anti-American, “America is built on the foundation that you stand up and say what you think,” Donnelly said. “You do it in a peaceful and patriotic way. The idea that rallying is a question mark to whether or not you are American seems to confuse the issue.”
Many protesters also expressed their frustrations with the Democratic Party and their leadership.
“No Democrat is overjoyed with our current party,” Donnelly said.
“Our team is huddled up in the corner, so we are here to speak out and ask the leadership to stand up for us.” Morgan said. “Maybe this rally will give the opposing party a backbone to stand up to what’s going on.”
“This rally is 100% American,” Erin Hirtle said. “We love living in this country and this is to help us keep our freedom.”
