No Kings protest expected to draw 2,000 people
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Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos: Heritage Images/Getty Images, No Kings
Protesters are gathering at the Iowa State Capitol on Saturday for what is expected to be the largest single-day anti-Trump demonstration since the beginning of his second administration.
The big picture: The widespread No Kings movement will run counter to President Trump's multimillion-dollar military parade in Washington.
- Interest in the nationwide protests has risen since the Trump administration's crackdown on protesters in Los Angeles.
Driving the news: Around 2,000 people are expected to attend the Des Moines event, based on registrations as of Wednesday, per Des Moines organizer Lori Hunt.
- Indivisible Iowa is supporting over 20 No Kings protests across the state.
Zoom in: Hunt said she expects nonviolent protests. Volunteers are being trained for situational awareness and deescalation.
- Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek told Axios the department has a team in place to respond Saturday if needed. Hunt said event organizers are not coordinating with DMPD.
State of play: Speakers include Charlie Wishman from Federation of Labor, Joe Henry with LULAC, Sue Dinsdale with ICAN and Iowa Rep. Rob Johnson (D–Des Moines).
- Hunt said the plan is to gather at the west terrace, and people can park in surrounding free lots, like the Capitol Complex parking garage. The event runs from 12pm to 2pm.
Zoom out: Trump's military parade will be on June 14, the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday, achieving his long-held desire to march a parade of soldiers through the capital.
The other side: "President Trump earned the support of 77 million Americans and won Iowa by a commanding margin, that's democracy in action," Iowa Republican Party spokesperson Jade Cichy shared in an email.
- "The protests we're seeing aren't organic. They're funded by dark money groups and designed to distract from the Democrats' sinking poll numbers and lack of a serious agenda."
What they're saying: Hunt said she and other organizers are not receiving dark money.
- "Our biggest motivation is that our government should work for us," she said. "Our president should be accountable to laws."