Millions of Americans took to the streets Saturday as part of the third major No Kings demonstrations, and thousands of upstate New Yorkers participated in local rallies.
Communities from Albany to Plattsburgh rallied Saturday, joining with the estimated 8 million Americans taking part in nationwide No Kings demonstrations to air their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s administration.
More than a dozen communities in and around the Capital Region had rallies organized by Indivisible ADK/Saratoga.
The group had hoped to center the region’s energy in Saratoga Springs, where roughly 4,000 demonstrators gathered.
Sam Brewer regularly participates in local politics – he’s at nearly every Saratoga Springs City Council meeting. On Saturday, however, he was standing on the corner of Phila Street and Broadway.
“Yeah, I think this is a wonderful day. It’s nice to see a protest that’s inclusive of everybody’s grievances. There’s a lot of signs that say lots of different things. Different things are important to different people it’s a wonderful day. It’s great to see thousands of people out. I see Citizens United signs out here, there’s a lot of different causes. My personal opinion is that Trump is unfit to be President. I think that the Epstein files show there’s a lot of blackmail potential. That he’s not acting of his own free will, so that’s why I’m here today,” said Brewer.
For the thousands lining Broadway, there was a broad spectrum of issues that got them out.
Most signs, like Steve Bederian’s, focused on President Trump.
“My sign is an image of Mr. Trump, where he belongs, in an orange jumpsuit behind bars. And the Latin says ‘sic semper tyrannis’ which is the motto of the state of Virginia, ‘thus always to tyrants,’” said Bederian.
Just a few steps up Broadway, Jennifer Farley had a sign advocating for the preservation of women’s voting rights. She said the proposed SAVE America Act, a bill requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote in federal elections, could disenfranchise married women.
“They’re making it unavailable for some people to be able to get the qualified paperwork to be able to have both their maiden name and their married name and it is absolutely and it is discriminatory. This is America, it’s not some other country,” said Farley.
Rodney Jay was volunteering with Indivisible ADK/Saratoga, holding a massive, inflatable chicken to the ground.
“Well, you know, what’s really interesting about the protest itself is that people often say, ‘well it doesn’t do any good,’ it’s amazing the comradery that goes on. I’ve talked to people I would never talk to in my normal life, like you. It creates an atmosphere that’s really magic I think,” said Jay.
Dan and Rose Fera were standing across the street from city hall. They were happy to see so many turn out for the demonstration, but were concerned by a lack of young demonstrators.
“Because it’s their world, their future. They’re not doing anything about it. When I protested back in the Vietnam War it was all young people, there was nobody over 30 back then,” said Dan Fera.
“I think it’s the same people protesting now that protested in the 60s. The youth have got to learn you got to get out and you got to be visible. If you want your politicians to do something different, they have to see that it matters to enough people,” said Rose Fera.
