Special to IFN
More than 1,000 people gathered at the Catawba County Justice Center in Newton on Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s authoritarian actions and policies. The protest was one of 2,600 held across the nation and in a number of foreign countries.
“While President Trump continues to act like a dictator, we are standing up again to push back against his administration’s hateful, harmful, and authoritarian actions,” said Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley Chair Deb Johnson. “We want no kings in our country.”
Rev. Joel Simpson of Taylorsville’s First United Methodist Church and Rev. Darryl Dayson of Charlotte’s South Tryon United Methodist Church kicked off the rally. Both are active with the NC Poor People’s Campaign.
In their remarks, they said, “Certain people have been saying No Kings day gatherings are anti-America. That these gatherings are filled with people who hate America. So, let’s set the record straight. We’re here because we love our country. We’re here because we believe in the vision of America being a place of liberty and justice for all. Not just some.
“We’re here,” they continued, “because we believe there should be No Kings in America. No authoritarian control. No government overreach. No presidential abuse of power. No using the military against our own people. No slashing of lifesaving supports for the most vulnerable in our communities. We are here because someone is hurting our people, and we won’t be silent anymore.”
Two area high school students provided the youth perspective on the nation’s move toward authoritarianism.
“We are in a time of such uncertainty, that I can’t even stand up for what I believe in without fearing I may be in danger or persecuted. It is a time of uncertainty so constant that I’ve realized: if I don’t stand up now, I may not have the chance later. I fear for the future of democracy and equality — but I’m here because that fear can’t and won’t silence me,” said Sage Fields, a senior at Challenger Early College High School.
“What’s happening is part of a pattern, a pattern where public institutions that help regular everyday people are being destroyed so that Donald Trump and his friends can grow stronger,” added Discovery High School senior Aidan Morton.
Retired WFAE journalist Ann Doss Helms spoke about the First Amendment and the vital importance of a free press. She said, “strong independent (press) coverage – the kind that makes powerful people uncomfortable – is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Regarding big media organizations caving to Trump, she said, “Sometimes even the big media powerhouses decide it’s easier to pay up and make concessions than to try to fight the president and all the public forces he can bring against them.
“That’s denying us our right to know what’s going on in our government. And that’s un-American,” she added.
In closing remarks, Rev. Gavin Gabriel of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Mooresville said, “Let me be real with you: My father was Mexican. My mother is Black. I carry that border and that burden in my bones. I know what it means to have your presence questioned. Your belonging debated. I’ve lived as both target and citizen.
“So, when I say I love this country—I mean it,” Gabriel added. “But, when I say we don’t need another tyrant parading troops while families are caged, books are banned, and truth is under fire? I’m not being dramatic. I’m being American.”