Some states deployed extra law enforcement personnel to maintain law and order. Event organizers said they are committed to ‘nonviolent action.’
Demonstrators have taken to the streets nationwide on Oct. 18 to protest against President Donald Trump and his administration.
Large-scale events, as part of the “No Kings” protests, are taking place in cities including Washington, New York, Boston, New Orleans, and Atlanta.
The “No Kings” website states that rallies are expected all over the country “to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.”
The protests are occurring during the federal government shutdown resulting from an impasse between Republicans and Democrats on government funding.
Washington Attendees
Several attendees of the city of Washington rally told The Epoch Times why they joined the protest.
One of them, a woman from Maryland named Christi, who didn’t provide her last name, works as an attorney. She said some of her concerns stem from her work, as she represents people who rely on public benefits.
“I’m feeling inundated by the constant barrage of fires and issues, it’s really difficult to pick one,” Christi said when asked about her top issue.
She said she had come in part for the sake of her friends who work in the federal government, who Christi said are worried they’ll lose their jobs if they take part in protests.
The Epoch Times also spoke to a man in an inflatable dinosaur costume named Paul, who also declined to provide his last name.
Dozens of attendees wore similar inflatable suits, dressing as chickens, lobsters, donkeys, and other animals. The costumes have been observed at various protests across the country prior to the “No Kings” rallies.
Paul said he was concerned primarily about what he said to be “the general destruction of the rule of law in the country.”
“The Republicans in Congress, the wannabe dictator for life in the White House, and the cowards on the Supreme Court are failing to ensure that the government follows law,” Paul said.
He said he was particularly concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, layoffs of federal employees, and the White House’s use of impoundment to reduce or cut congressionally delegated funding.
By Stacy Robinson, Joseph Lord, Ryan Morgan, Darlene McCormick Sanchez
