No Kings rallies foster conversation between protesters, counterprotesters
Hundreds in Butler County turned out for No Kings rallies in Zelienople, Adams Township and Evans City, joining the thousands protesting nationwide Saturday, March 28.
Not all attendees were there in opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration. A handful of individuals attended in Adams Township to support the right to protest or to voice opposing views.
Republicans and Democrats on the corner of Main Street and Grandview Avenue in Zelienople could be heard discussing the price of prescriptions and war, among other topics.
“There have been some people who are quite polite and gracious,” said Chet Jack, a Cranberry Township Republican who said he attended to support the right to protest.
“I would need a 400-foot sign to tell you how I feel,” said Trudy Banks, a Connoquenessing resident who attended the Zelienople protest.
Like Banks, many protesters expressed difficulty narrowing their dissatisfaction with the Trump administration to one issue. She felt Trump had usurped the power of Congress and the two chambers have not done enough to limit his power.
“People that really weren’t politically active are really motivated,” said March Frierson, a Harmony resident and member of Butler Neighbors, a groups that attends Butler County Commissioners meetings and speaks about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Frierson said he fears aggressive tactics demonstrated by ICE could trickle down to police departments and government offices that signed partnership agreements.
“Every day there’s a new issue,” said Gary Boyd, a Penn Township resident at the Zelienople protest.
He said the war in Iran is the most recent and severe issue, while nearby veterans backed him up.
“He’s going to have a hard time getting out of (the war),” said Paul Jackson, a Cranberry Township resident who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1969.
Jackson said he hasn’t liked Trump since his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and he believes the war in Iran is illegal.
“It’s time we restore a Republican democracy,” said Dave Johnson, a Middlesex Township resident.
He said while the nation is celebrating 250 years of freedom from monarchy, Trump is “decorating the White House like a palace.”
Kitty Verdolini Abbott, an Adams Township resident, said she also protested the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and it worked then.
“The people have to be heard,” she said. “It seems to me the majority of people don’t want this.”
Brian Cashmere, of Brady Township, echoed her sentiment. He said his uncle died fighting fascists in Italy, and his family has been in the United States since the 1690s.
“Why did they die? What were they fighting for?” he said.
David Spence, a Valencia resident who attended the Adams Township protest, said this was his first protest in a suburban area after attending protests in Pittsburgh.
“It’s really encouraging and energizing,” Spence said about the turnout for the protest in a suburban community.
The Evans City protest was held at the intersection of Main and North Washington streets.
While most attended to protest the actions of the Trump administration, the protests also attracted those with opposing views.
“It’s a shame they’re all upset,” said Terry Moore, a Cranberry Township resident at the Adams Township protest.
Moore said he feels Democrats are against traditional American values, but maintained America voted for the Trump administration’s actions.
“I feel President Trump is the best president in my lifetime,” said Barbara Davidson, a Center Township resident at the Zelienople rally.
“If they can’t tell the difference between a man and a woman, how can they tell the difference between a president and a king,” she added.
