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The No Kings protest in Brule. Photo by Phil Anderson.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”  James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) American author, poet and civil rights activist

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, America “faced” the threat of Donald Trump to our nation. Although the people protesting his egregious behavior may not change anything immediately, the huge numbers pouring into the the streets, all over the country, clearly show momentum is building and change is possible. 

The latest estimate is 13 million people attended rallies and marches in 2,300 locations all across the across the country. This count probably does not include the many wide spots like Brule, Wis., where I, and 149 other people, celebrated democracy. 

Across the Northland there were events in Ely, Virginia, Grand Rapids, Brainard Lakes area, Moose Lake, Two Harbors, Duluth, Superior, Brule, Hayward and Ashland. 

We may never have accurate numbers but clearly the turnout for the No Kings protests was massive.
Was anything accomplished from this show of public outrage? 

I believe there were significant results from these protests. For one, active opposition to Trump’s dictatorial rule is growing. The increase in participation from the April 5 Hands Off rallies to the June 14 No Kings events was significant. Clearly the opposition to Trump’s destructive actions, chaotic mismanagement, personal corruption and cruelty toward many people is growing in size and breadth.

The stark contrast with Trump’s military parade is another significant outcome. News reports say the turnout for the parade was well below what was expected. The few available aerial pictures show the crowds were thin along the streets. The Trump administration is, of course, spinning the numbers, but clearly the $45 million dollar extravaganza was a loser. People did not like the obvious similarity to military dictators’ authoritarian self-promotion.

The success of the No Kings protests reminds us that dissent is as American as apple pie. In our country’s history, no political, social, economic or civil rights progress has every been made without a struggle. Pubic protests and civil disobedience have always been part of the process of achieving change. Citizen action rarely produces immediate change but it is the engine that makes future change possible. 

As Frederick Douglas taught us, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a contemporary Black civil rights activist, discusses the importance of protests in his latest book, We All Want to Change the World. He writes, “Protest movements, even peaceful ones, are never popular at first...but there is a reason protests have been so frequent throughout history: they are effective. The United States exists because of them.” 

Mr. Abdul-Jabbar also points out that change is usually opposed by – and labeled as “radical” by – most of society, especially the wealthy white male ruling elite. He writes, “..every incidence of social progress – from the abolition of slavery to women getting the right to vote to the enshrining of the eight-hour workday to the creation of Social Security – was once labeled ‘radical.’” 

In the book he defines change as, “...improving lives by making sure that everyone has equal opportunities and choice in controlling their lives. Equally change means stopping any behavior that exploits, harms or belittles people.” 

Unfortunately, many people in our supposedly democratic country consider these notions “communism,” “woke” and un-American.

Donald Trump’s rantings display this warped, ignorant thinking. He has frequently referred to protesters as, “very bad people...sick people...radical left lunatics...Marxists” and “the enemy from within.” This ridiculous bombast is being used to justify the use of military force (National Guard and active military) against citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

“Trump’s rise to power, and his continued influence within a significant portion of the American electorate, is fueled by a deliberate distortion of reality, manipulation of facts, and the cultivation of an ‘us versus them’ mentality. The foundation of this strategy rests on keeping his base in a state of perpetual ignorance, where their loyalty is secured not through genuine policy achievements or a coherent vision for the future, but through fear, misinformation, and an ever-deepening distrust of established institutions.“ 

These are the words of David M. Crane, a former federal prosecutor, Army veteran and author (see “Ignorance is strength: The core of Trump’s political strategy,” The Mountaineer –a North Carolina publication – Oct. 23, 2024).

Running the country on “deliberate distortion of reality” will be a disaster for the vast majority of Americans. Plus none of the “checks and balances” that are suppose to control excessive executive power are being effective.

In addition the press, the courts and business, academic and political leaders are “normalizing”  Trump and his administration’s behavior. 

When people acquiesce to obviously illegal acts and   dangerous expansions of presidential powers, Trump is only encouraged to become more dictatorial.

David Kirp explains why people must stop “bending the knee” to Trump. Professor Kirp is at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of many books on improving education. He says Trump is trying to remake every aspect of American society “in his image” (see “Stop bending the knee to Trump: it’s time for anticipatory noncompliance.” The Guardian, January 8, 2025).

We see this in Trump attempting to control private or independent organizations like the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution or the National Portrait Gallery. Trump has illegally fired board members of numerous independent agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board. In these two cases, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold Trump’s action, overriding a 90-year precedent and clear legislative intent that board members of these agencies cannot be fired without cause.

Professor Kirp continues, “Fearing Hurricane Donald, a host of universities, law firms, newspapers, public schools and Fortune 500 companies have rushed to do his bidding, bowing before he even comes calling...But this behavior, which social scientists call ‘anticipatory compliance’, smooths the way to autocracy because it gives the Trump regime unlimited power without his having to lift a finger... Halting autocracy in its tracks demands...anticipatory noncompliance.”

This is why we need more protests. We must keep protesting, organizing, educating, lobbying and building the coalitions needed to stop the fascist coup underway in our country. We must grow this movement to take back the House and Senate in 2026 and  impeach the wannabee King.