Community members will gather at the Champaign County Courthouse in Urbana on Saturday to protest the Trump administration, which they say is authoritarian. This is the second coordinated event under the No Kings organization, following the first, which drew thousands this summer.
Protester organizers from Indivisible Illinois wrote in a press release that they are protesting the administration’s immigration enforcement, as well as its recent cuts to healthcare, environmental protections and education. They wrote that millions of people across the country will join the movement Saturday in a nationwide day of peaceful mobilization.
Protestors from various groups, including ACLU of Champaign County, ACLU of Illinois, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Champaign-Urbana, the Champaign County Democrats, the Champaign-Urbana Resistance Effort, the Illini Democrats and the Young Democratic Socialists of America will also be in attendance.
Thousands are expected to take to the streets this Saturday to protest various other decisions made under Trump’s presidency.
“In a time when pessimism runs rampant, our resistance through protesting becomes indispensable,” said Matthew Hurtado, sophomore in LAS and Young Democratic Socialists of America outreach coordinator.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The protest will begin at noon and include talks from several speakers, including professor in Law Faye E. Jones, Student Body President and junior in ACES Gabi DalSanto and Cunningham Township Supervisor Danielle Chynoweth.
Following the speeches, participants will be invited to march on a designated route. In a press release on Tuesday, the City of Urbana announced it issued a permit and will close various roadways in downtown Urbana to accommodate the protest.
The City of Urbana said community members can expect delays in the area during the protest.
Earlier this year on June 14 — the day of President Donald Trump’s military birthday parade — millions of rallies took place nationwide.
More than 5 million people across the nation took to the streets to protest against Trump’s agenda, according to protest organizers. The protesters made their voices heard that “America has No Kings” and will do so again this Saturday.
Event emcee and Champaign County Indivisible co-lead Tracey Dougan called on the people of Champaign County and the surrounding community to mobilize and use their right to free speech.
“Our Founding Fathers guaranteed us the right to free speech and to assemble peacefully to protest our government’s actions,” Dougan said. “No one can take that away from us. Join us in exercising your Constitutionally protected rights.”
