No Kings rallies begin across Butler County
Three No Kings rallies are set around Butler County Saturday as protests against President Donald Trump’s administration are planned nationwide for the third time during his second term in office.
A rally at Zelienople Park, at the corner of Main Street and Grandview Avenue, kicked off at noon and is set to run until 2 p.m. A second rally is planned in Adams Township from 1 to 3 p.m. at the intersection of state Route 228 and Adams Ridge Boulevard. A third rally begins at 3 p.m. and is expected to run until 6 p.m. at the corner of Main and North Washington Streets in Evans City.
Janet Grill, an organizer for the Zelienople protest, said the goal is to save democracy. Earlier this week, Grill said 81 people had officially signed up via the website, though organizers expect at least three times that number to show up.
According to No Kings, the purpose of the rallies is to protest a range of things, including what participants see as democracy backsliding under the Trump administration, threats toward other countries and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and mass deportations. No Kings also hopes to highlight more recent issues, such as the war in Iran, rising gas prices and the push to pass the SAVE America Act.
No Kings has described itself as a “national day of action and mobilization against the Trump administration.” Organizers said the name is derived from Trump and his administration “pushing the limits of executive power and undermining the Constitution.”
Catherine Lalonde, chair of the Butler County Democratic Committee, said a few committee members have been involved with planning for the upcoming events and that people have reached out with questions about the rallies.
“I imagine there will be quite a good turnout. Especially with this war. Now we have another foreign war, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement still being very big in the news,” Lalonde said.
Over 3,000 No Kings rallies nationwide are scheduled for Saturday with dozens happening across Pennsylvania.
