No Kings protest in Cranberry Township crowds intersection at Routes 228, 19
CRANBERRY TWP — Although there were “No Kings” protests planned across the nation on Saturday, Oct. 18, organizers of the one at the intersection of Route 228 and Route 19 said it was still important to have one in Butler County.
Although people could travel to Pittsburgh or another area to voice their opinions alongside a group, seeing that other people in their hometown have similar feelings is good for the cause, according to one of the organizers of Saturday’s protest.
“It really builds solidarity when people know they’re not alone in their thoughts and feelings,” said Kathy Kline, one of the organizers of the Butler County protest Saturday. “We’re just being persistent.”
People began gathering at the corners of the busy intersection around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, even though the protest was scheduled to take place from noon to 2 p.m.
Kline said the previous No Kings protest that took place at the intersection in June garnered attendance from about 1,200 people and she estimated that Saturday’s turnout was similar. While there were many new faces, Kline said most had attended one or more of the 11 previous protests organized in Butler County this year.
No Kings is a movement that began on June 14 and is meant to demonstrate to President Donald Trump that the country will not accept the rule of a king or dictator. According to the No Kings website, the slogan is the foundation the nation was built upon and demonstrators are taking to the streets to keep it that way.
Kline said she registered the Butler County event on the website but did not alert people who also signed up to its location until a few days ago. She said this is so organizers can prepare prospective attendees for how to best voice their opinions peacefully.
“We give everybody the one, two, threes, the guidelines, don’t engage, those kind of things,” Kline said. “This is our 12th one this year and every demonstration we have one of the first calls I make is to the police department that covers the area … I let them know what we do.”
As people waved picket signs advocating against deploying military agents to U.S. cities, they received many car horn honks, and only a few lewd gestures, according to Kline. Many people also carried American flags as they chanted from the edges of the busy intersection.
Some attending have a history of protesting actions by the government dating back decades.
Jody Harbison, of Butler, said she was on the ground in the 1960s advocating for women’s rights — like the right for women to apply for their own credit cards and file for divorce. Now in her 70s, Harbison said she continues to attend peaceful protests because she sees the parallels in governance.
“It’s going backward and taking away what women have so long fought for, which is they should have their own choices in livelihood as well as in governance,” Harbison said. “It’s not a hierarchy of men, then women — no, we want to be on equal footing.“
Paul Dau, of Butler, said his sisters protested the military draft in the 1960s even while he was stationed overseas in the Air Force. He compared the protests against the Vietnam War to the No Kings protests because both are protests against government decisions.
Another Air Force veteran, Kelly Smith, of Butler, attended the protest Saturday as well, having been compelled to demonstrate after seeing Constitutional rights be “thrown out the window,” particularly when it comes to immigration.
“I have issues with ICE people wearing masks,” Smith said. “No law enforcement should be wearing masks.”
Gloria DePaolis, a former resident of Cranberry Township, also said immigration was a hot topic.
“When my grandparents came here, there was no legal immigration. They just went to Ellis Island,” she said. “Now people are being arrested when showing up for their visas.”
Kline said Saturday’s protest, like previous protests organized this year in the county, went well, and expected to get good feedback from attendees like the past 11 events. She said she plans to continue taking part in these protests to show solidarity with people who share similar values.
“What didn’t inspire you last (time) could inspire you for the next time,” Kline said about organizing another protest.