Far from the throngs of protesters captured in aerial views of major cities, "No Kings" rallies in deep-red Utah gathered Saturday at street corners and parks in a smaller show of dissent — but one that could make a big difference.

The big picture: Local organizers are leveraging national anti-Trump rallies as a point of first contact with sympathetic residents who typically keep their heads down and quietly cast losing votes in counties where Republicans for years have won by double-digit margins.

Why it matters: Some critics on both the right and the left have dismissed protests like "No Kings" as performative activism.

• Large rallies "attended exclusively by NPR listeners in blue cities do not impress rural voters," never-Trump Republican commentator David Brooks wrote in The Atlantic last week.
• Yes, but: In Utah's small cities and towns, participants and organizers say rallies like Saturday's have boosted participation on the left, from petition drives and volunteer recruiting, to building a sense of community and morale.

Between the lines: Rallies like No Kings give dissenters more safety in numbers to speak up, said Wayne Jensen, a software developer who grew up in Emery County and joined the rally in Price.

• "You kind of assume that more of them are Republican than they actually are because there's a risk of being discriminated against on the job, or being judged in church or whatever," said Jensen, who noted he was fired as bassist from his local rock band over politics.
• In Box Elder County, where Trump won 78% of the vote, some fear being ostracized by their faith communities if they vocally oppose him, county Democratic Party chair Shannon Barton told Axios. Some of Saturday's protesters in nearby Logan told her they wore costumes to stay anonymous, she said.

Zoom out: At other rallies Saturday, groups staged breakaway meetings opposing Medicaid cuts and Republican efforts to retain advantage as the state redraws Congressional maps, said Kael Weston, chair of the Utah Democratic Rural Caucus.

• At Kanab's rally, a man reached out to local Democrats to discuss running for office, said Kane County party chair Caralee Woods. Simply recruiting a candidate is a breakthrough in a population of 8,500 that went 73% for Trump, Woods told Axios.

Flashback: Union leaders said springtime anti-Trump rallies were instrumental to their successful signature-gathering campaign for a ballot measure to restore collective bargaining rights to public employees.

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Inflatable costumes bounced amid retired coal miners wearing oxygen cannulas as roughly 200 people gathered in front of the courthouse in Price.

• Scores of passing drivers honked from their lifted pickups and farm trucks, eclipsing four or five coal-rollers and middle fingers in this onetime union Democrat stronghold where more than 70% voted for Trump in 2024.

What they're saying: "You know, you live here, and sometimes it just feels like you're totally alone," said Jensen, the Price software developer. "And then you come to this and see all these people driving by, cheering, honking, and it gives me hope."

By the numbers: After sharing contact information at June's No Kings rally, Carbon County Democrats' monthly meetings suddenly grew from a lonely eight to 10 diehards, to 20-30 regular members, party chair Allan Sumnall told Axios.

• "Now we're starting to be able to raise a little money, to start doing a few more things," Sumnall said, pointing to a bearded protester holding a sign. "He showed up to that [June rally], and he became our IT guy. He's helping us do all the web design."

The intrigue: In Price, no single issue dominated protesters' concerns. Jim Hill, a registered Libertarian from Castle Dale, cited Jan. 6, 2021, as his tipping point. His wife, Debbie, balked at rising anti-immigrant sentiments in a county where immigration was historically a point of pride.

• Tony Kourianos, who worked 40 years at the Deer Creek mine, said he was wary of eroding worker protections. He pointed to hundreds of names carved into the miners' memorial across the street. "I was standing next to some of those folks when they died."

The bottom line: The older protest crowd in Price was broadly united in support of rights and guarantees they remember living without, like credit cards for women and schools that serve kids with disabilities.

• "Now the Trump administration is messing with ... the Department of Education," said Kimberly Clark, a party delegate from Carbonville, who grew up attending private school because she had cerebral palsy before the disability laws of the 1970s.
• "I'm standing up for it all," Clark said. "I just see it as my civic duty."

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💵 The CEO of Crumbl Cookies offered to cover BYU's penalties from last weekend's football game against Utah after the school's fans stormed the field following the Cougars' win. (KUTV)

⛷️ Deer Valley plans to open seven new lifts and almost 80 runs for the 2025-26 season as part of the resort's massive expansion. (KSL.com)

🍕 Over two recent trips, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy's reviews of pizza joints along the Wasatch Front have boosted visits and sales for those businesses. (FOX 13)

• Portnoy has reviewed spots like The Pie Pizzeria, Pie Hole and Nico's Pizza in Provo.

Hey there — it's Ryan Deto from Axios Pittsburgh. I visited Utah last week and, as an avid birder, wanted to share a great bird-watching spot I came across.

The big picture: The fall migration runs through November and means flocks of shorebirds, waterfowl, terns and herons fill the wetlands surrounding Great Salt Lake.

• Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Center — just under an hour north of SLC — is one of the best viewing spots.

Zoom in: On the 12-mile auto tour, I spotted American avocet, white-faced ibis, Western grebes, Wilson's philanthrope and several glorious American white pelicans.

• I also saw a ruby-crowned kinglet and sharp skinned hawk near the visitors center.

Threat level: No need to exit your vehicle, and you won't want to. The bugs are relentless.

• I learned the hard way.

Pro tip: Bring binoculars. Some of the birds are small and almost always at a significant distance.

• The loop drive takes about 2-3 hours, depending on how long you like to gander.

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