(
Georgia Recorder
) — Minutes after Atlanta’s “No Kings” protest began Saturday outside the state Capitol, organizers announced that the venue’s 5,000-person capacity had been reached.
Another 3,000 people demonstrated outside Liberty Plaza, according to a police estimate. A small number of counter protesters were present, but no incidents or arrests were reported.
The demonstration was one of about two dozen protests against the administration of President Donald Trump in Georgia. Nationally, about 2,000 events were planned Saturday under the banner of “No Kings” day.
“It fills my heart. I’m so glad that people are here,” said Adam Zarett, an IT professional from Atlanta. “I’m glad to see so many people here standing up for our constitutional rights, making our voices heard. Like John Lewis, good trouble.”
Zarett said he wasn’t much for protests until recently.
“I didn’t even care about politics before Trump came into office the first time, and it stung then, and it is so much worse now,” he said. “It has just ignited a fire inside me that says you can’t just sit behind a keyboard and complain on Facebook all day. That just doesn’t do much. Sometimes it feels good, but it doesn’t do much.”
Now, Zarett says he’ll be back.
“I absolutely will. As many protests as there are, as many gatherings as there are, the people need to be heard,” he said.
Converting keyboard warriors to sign-wavers was part of the goal for “No Kings” organizers like Ezra Levin, cofounder of the progressive Indivisible organization.
In a streamed planning session Thursday, Levin said planning for the nationwide series of protests began when Trump announced
a military parade
in Washington, before protests in Los Angeles and a crackdown from the federal government became a national flashpoint.
The Washington event, which has come under fire for its projected cost of up to $45 million, coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army and Trump’s 79th birthday.
“Trump can have his pathetic little party in D.C. We’re everywhere else,” Levin said. “We are flying American flags everywhere. We’re featuring veterans on stage. We’re showing up with patriotic zeal. Most importantly, we are showing up in force in red, blue and purple communities in defense of our constitutional rights.”
There was plenty of red, white and blue on display in Atlanta – some came dressed in patriotic colors, and others waved mini American flags handed out by volunteers. Some faces in the crowd turned red as well as the triple threat of sun, humidity and tightly packed bodies raised the temperature in the plaza. Volunteers handed out bottles of water and paper fans to help fight off the worst effects of the heat.
The name of the event is a reference to what opponents say is Trump’s desire to subvert democracy and rule as an autarch, but many signs made reference to a different kind of King – civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., who called Atlanta home. Several protesters held signs saying King is the only king recognized in Atlanta.
Another genre of popular hometown signage paid tribute to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Firings
at the public health agency became the local symbol of federal job cuts opponents characterize as harmful and chaotic.
Anna Yousaf, an infectious disease doctor who works with vaccines at the CDC, stood near the front of the crowd with members of Fired But Fighting, a coalition of terminated workers. Yousaf said she came out to oppose Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who she said is undermining public trust in vaccines to deadly effect.
“Disinformation used to be coming from non-governmental sources,” she said. “Now, RFK Jr. is hijacking political organizations like the CDC, like the FDA, and using our name brand, if you will, to spread disinformation. And so people who would ordinarily go to a CDC resource for trusted information, now they’re going to get disinformation from the health secretary of the United States.”
“If he succeeds in his crusade to undermine vaccine confidence and restrict access, we will see thousands of people die, mostly children,” she added.
Yousaf and thousands of others listened and cheered as speakers took the stage to criticize the White House on policies ranging from mass immigration raids to laws targeting transgender Americans to U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Protesters dispersed peacefully around noon, with some lingering to bop along with a small marching band. Organizers encouraged participants to walk to an early Juneteenth celebration a few blocks away.
“Joy is also resistance in times like these,” said organizer Laura Judge. “So we’re encouraging people to move on down to the Juneteenth parade, support Black liberation, the purpose of Juneteenth, to be an ally to other people that are being marginalized.”
Other protests not affiliated with “No Kings” were scheduled for Saturday, including one at a plaza in northeast Atlanta.
“It’s good to get out and show that I don’t stand with the fascist pigs in power,” said Greg Drummond, an archivist from Gwinnett County who attended the “No Kings” protest at Liberty Plaza. “My main issue that I normally come out for is anti-capitalism. Unfortunately, I’m here with a bunch of capitalists, but I’m doing what we have to do here. I think actions later in the day will be more my speed.”
“The leftists and the liberals have to be allies until the revolution’s over, then we can hash out our differences,” he added. “But until then, we all have to stand strong against the fascism. If we let them rip us apart, then we’re all doomed, and we must stand up to it.”
