Defiance finds its voice in a dangerous time for democracy

In conservative Henderson County, where voters chose Donald Trump by a 15- percent margin in the 2024 Presidential election, protesters stretched from the new Courthouse on Grove Street all the way downtown to the old Courthouse on Main Street as they marched and chanted “No kings, no Trump!” on Saturday.

“Sh*t Is So Bad, Even the Introverts Are Here,” one protester’s sign read. Other signs ranged from the heartfelt to the humorous. A sign that read, “American Values Under Attack: Free Speech, Rule-of Law, Tolerance, Education, Science, Voting Rights, Social Security, Critical Thinking!” vied for attention with “All of My Outrage Can’t Fit on One Sign” and “Stormy Daniels: The only person Trump hired that was qualified.” 

Protesters were loud and strident in their opposition to Trump’s policies, but the march and rally were peaceful, leaving law enforcement with little to do other than to watch and keep the sidewalks clear. With the crowd energized by speakers and protest songs, the rally turned almost celebratory as protesters seemed heartened to connect with so many others outraged by Trump’s stewardship of the presidency. That festive mood took a hit near the end when one of the organizers announced that a Minnesota lawmaker had been killed in a politically motivated shooting and called for a moment of silence. 

Saturday, June 14, proved to be one of the most eventful days in recent U.S. history. Tragically, Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, died in what appears to be a political assassination, along with her husband, Mark, who grew up in Raleigh and attended UNC-Chapel Hill. That  terrible news overshadowed both the military parade in Washington celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army and the full-throated, peaceful nationwide protests as millions demonstrated against President Trump’s immigration and other policies.

The march and rally in Hendersonville was one of numerous protests in North Carolina and about 2,000 such events nationwide organized by a coalition of groups that included Public Citizen, Indivisible, 50501 and the American Civil Liberties Union. There appear to have been few counter protesters, but one brandished a rifle at the Salt Lake City protest. A voluntary peacekeeper shot at the man, wounding him and killing a bystander. In another instance, the driver of an SUV struck a woman who was participating in a protest in Riverside, Calif., then sped away. 

According to some accounts, the vibe at the parade in Washington honoring the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday turned out to be more of a U.S. Army history lesson than the display of military might President Trump seemed to want. By deploying the National Guard and U.S. Marines to California the week before the parade in response to protests against his immigration policies, the president put the nation on edge regarding his willingness to use military might against American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. The parade in Washington threatened to intensify that concern, but it turned out to be a relatively low-key part of a day of activities that included fitness competitions and fireworks. The Army appears to have taken the opportunity to honor its proud history instead of flexing its military muscle. Every American should be proud of that history and grateful for the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives as it was written. It’s a shame the politics of the Trump administration overshadowed that great story for many Americans.

Protesters decried the cost of the parade, estimated to be somewhere between $25 million and $45 million, at a time when the administration is slashing programs that benefit the poor. Organizers of Saturday’s protests intentionally chose not to hold an event in Washington. Protesters marched there anyway.

Lisa Gilbert, president of Public Citizen, told PBS’s John Yang, “We wanted to make clear that we're not protesting the military. We are instead protesting the administration's authoritarian actions. We didn't want to stand in front of the military parade, but instead have a split screen showing what the president is wasting taxpayer dollars on here in Washington and what everyone, everywhere else in the country is calling for, an America they can believe in, a democracy they trust.”

In sharp contrast to the organizers of the “No Kings” events, who pleaded with participants to protest peacefully, past and present actions and rhetoric by President Trump and members of his administration embolden rather than diminish the level of political violence. The attacks against Melissa Hortman and fellow Minnesota lawmaker John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who are expected to survive, were the most recent in a string of violent attacks against lawmakers. Another recent attack occurred on April 13 when the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence was fire-bombed while Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, his wife, Lori, and their children and dogs were sleeping upstairs. Fortunately, they were awakened by an officer and evacuated to safety.

Trump, himself, was the victim of an attempted assassination during his presidential campaign. Yet, by pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters, he sanctioned violence against elected officials. By calling Los Angeles protesters “animals” and “a foreign enemy” during a speech at Fort Bragg (a speech that was supposed to honor the Army’s 250th Anniversary), President Trump dehumanizes his political adversaries.

It is the reprehensible behavior of a manipulative bully who, in this case, wields enormous power.

Saturday’s protests demonstrate that the most effective way to respond to such a bully is to refuse to be intimidated, to refuse to engage in violence, to stand together and to speak truth to power. It is what we, who cherish our democratic republic, must do, for as long as it takes.

Joy Franklin is a journalist and writer who served as editorial page editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times for 10 years. Prior to that she served as executive editor of the Times-News in Hendersonville, N.C. Franklin writes for Carolina Commentary.