Protestors will gather together on Saturday at the Government Plaza from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the second ‘No Kings Day of Action’ against President Donald Trump.
Hosted by Indivisible West Alabama, the rally will be one of an estimated 2,500 protests going on across the United States as part of a coordinated, nonviolent movement to fight against dictatorship in America. Fifteen will take place in Alabama.
Heather Love, media liaison for Indivisible West Alabama, said the purpose of ‘No Kings’ is to draw attention to what she sees as a president making decisions without help.
“We have somebody who is making unilateral decisions without congressional approval and without the power of the people weighing in on these decisions that are being made about our rights,” Love said.
She said the significance in holding the protest in Tuscaloosa, given Alabama’s conservative reputation, is to show that “it’s okay to exercise your First Amendment rights” and so others in the community who feel the same way, can have a “space to talk about grievances and develop plans for action”.
Love said she encourages attendees to wear yellow to show solidarity and to bring creative signs or costumes. She also emphasized that the protest is nonviolent, peaceful and community-safe.
“Indivisible has never had any issues with violence at our events,” she said. “Our membership’s goal is to show up, speak out and remind the administration that the people have power.”
UA College Democrats said, although they have no involvement in organizing the event, they support its mission and plan to promote it among their members.
“We aren’t affiliated with Indivisible West Alabama, but we believe it’s important to have our voices heard,” said Sam McKinny, president of UA College Democrats. “The ‘No Kings’ protest is a great opportunity for our members to do that.”
Editor’s note: This story was changed to correct a spelling error. The group hosting the protest is “Indivisible of West Alabama,” not “Invisible of West Alabama.”
