No Kings Rally – Inspirational & Unifying!
What an energetic and inspiring day it was at the Concord No Kings Rally last Saturday!
It was a wonderful turnout — the people standing up to the harsh and inhumane policies now being administered by the present president.
As with the 7 million other protesters across the country, our demonstration was mostly peaceful and unifying. However, I did witness two digressions.
One was when a car with Trump supporters drove in front of us on Main Street. The guy next to me stepped out in front of it, giving them the finger, and shouting unpleasant words. As much as possible, I politely reminded him that we were peaceful protesters. He reacted with even more crude words to me, expressing his exasperation with the Democrats.
Another incident made me feel embarrassed by the crowd’s responses. A black SUV decorated with Trump signs and having passengers from inside cheering made its way boisterously down Main Street. This elicited a thunderous cloud of boos and catcalls from the protesters. I cringed, wishing the crowds had chosen a more loving response — like everyone going completely silent and giving them the peace sign. Now that would have irked the Trumpsters, not receiving the irritated response they were probably hoping for.
We need to rethink how we can, in the future, respond with civility and kindness, and still stand up strong to this dangerous authoritarian administration. Thank you to all who showed up and were counted. Your participation is crucial in the transformation of our presently very dysfunctional government.