Immigration, war bring thousands to Georgia State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ march
He couldn’t find an inflatable frog costume, so Aaron Cobb wore an eagle costume instead.
For him, Saturday’s “No Kings” protest near the Georgia State Capitol was patriotic, even though it opposed President Donald Trump’s administration. That view was shared by others who waved U.S. flags while many more were distributed by rally leaders in safety vests.
“We need to bring power back to us, the people, the voters,” said Cobb, who lives in Grant Park.
The downtown Atlanta rally and march was one of more than a dozen that took place within metro Atlanta and more than 3,000 nationwide. It was the third round of “No Kings” events since June.
Laura Judge with the Indivisible Georgia Coalition told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution nearly 2,500 people had registered by Friday evening; she pegged march-day attendance at 22,000. She said it was Atlanta’s largest “No Kings” protest.
Atlanta police, which had a large presence at the peaceful event, estimated about 6,000 people attended.
Saturday morning’s rally at the Memorial Drive Greenway featured a handful of speakers, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, to pump up the crowd. During Warnock’s speech, he compared the Republican Party to a dying snake — one he described as jerking sporadically and desperately after its head is chopped off.
“That’s why they elected Donald Trump in the first place. He represents the violent gesticulations of an old order that is destined to die,” he said.
Warnock said it was the people’s job to fight back and seize power during the midterm elections in November.
Concern about Trump’s immigration policies has been a central part of the “No Kings” protests. Warnock said he recently went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, scene of significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. and where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by federal agents.
The protest also comes at a time when the House and Senate have been unable to pass a bill to resolve a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has left Transportation Security Administration workers unpaid since mid-February and jammed airport security lines.
The main point of contention is over funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Amid the impasse, Trump on Friday signed a memo directing payment to TSA workers.
Michael Hall, 68, of Scottdale, said he’s been worried for some of his neighbors ever since ICE operations ramped up across the nation.
The retired Perimeter College at Georgia State University educator held a cutout sign featuring a baby with Trump’s head and a crown. He called Trump a “baby king” and described him as spoiled.
“(Trump represents) everything that’s wrong: division, exploiting fear and just cynical pursuit of power,” he said.
Laurel Crafts, 55, and Sheri Cook, 56, said they’ve been hurt by rising medical costs and fewer medical subsidies.
Crafts is a caregiver for her parents and said it’s become increasingly difficult to get long-term, in-home medical care. Cook said she suffers from several medical conditions, and as a restaurant industry worker, health care is difficult to afford.
Seeking to channel the rebellion of the 1980s cartoon “She-Ra: Princess of Power,” Hope Rogers dressed up as the titular character on the show that focuses on dismantling an authoritarian regime.
The 34-year-old identified the Epstein files, immigration and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran as her main reasons for demonstrating.
“We don’t want violence, we don’t want to be bombing other people as a game,” she said.
In Tucker, a demonstration and march started later Saturday so people participating in the Atlanta event could attend both. Hong Chin, who teaches world history and civics at Tucker High School, held a sign that read, “I did not survive Khmer Rouge regime for this!”
Chin said the sign is literally true. He migrated to the U.S. from Cambodia with his mother and siblings after his father was killed by the regime in 1973. He was 9 years old. Chin said he became a U.S. citizen in 2011.
“America gave me the opportunity to make my life better,” Chin said. “The treatment of immigrants (by the Trump administration) is especially concerning.”
Back in Atlanta, many who protested came in costume. Several people wore frog hats, while a couple dressed in inflatable frog suits. There was even a Pikachu.
And while that massive crowd was angry, there was also hope the midterm elections would bring change.
“Once we seize back power, we’re going to hold everyone who contributed to this complete corruption of American values, of democratic values; we’re going to hold them accountable,” Cobb, 51, said.
— Editor Dan Klepal contributed to this report.
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