Hundreds were shown in the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston on Saturday, April 5, 2025, to take part in a nationwide hands for the meeting to protest against the trump government’s actions. (Zachary Hiser | West Virginia clock)
How the capital of the nation is prepared for a massive military parade to mark them 250th anniversary of the US Army And President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, organizers in several cities in West Virginia plan to mark the day with anti-trump protests.
Rallies “No Kings Day of Action” are planned for cities across the country, including Berkeley Springs, Bluefield, Buckhannon, Charleston, Elkins, Huntington and others.
The events react to what the organization describes as “increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption” by the president and the allies.
“We don’t make kings in America,” says an explanation of Indivisible.org, the website for a basic organization that is composed of hundreds of local groups. “They have opposed our dishes, deported Americans, disappeared from the street, attacked our civil rights and broke our services. Corruption went too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.”
An estimated 200,000 participants, 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft are expected for Trump’s military parade in Washington, DC, on Saturday. According to news reports. The spectacle will cost an estimated 45 million US dollar, including $ 16 million, to repair DC’s streets after the event.
A spokesman for the West Virginia National Guard said on Wednesday that the agency would not send personnel or equipment to participate in the military parade, but plan to send them 200 members of the Cerf-P team to support the Nation Capitol region as part of the wake to support events of their size.
Trump defended the costs of the event and calls it. “Occupings compared to the value of this “in a The latest interview with NBC News.
“We have the biggest rockets in the world,” said Trump. “We have the biggest U -boats in the world. We have the largest army tanks in the world. We have the largest weapons in the world. And we will celebrate it.”
To Dr. Kate Waldeck, one of the organizers for the rally on Saturday in Huntington, is the parade another example of the “massive” amount of money, the republican of people who need it. The “big, beautiful bill” supported by Trump, which has passed the House of Representatives and drives the Senate through the Senate, would reduce the financing of Medicaid and food aid for low -income Americans.
“We are increasingly seeing that our social security net is being removed,” said Waldeck. “And of course we hope that this political situation is momentary, but in the meantime the reality is that we have to build novel networks for our people. So our topic for it [rally] is “not kings”, but we take it and expand it … “No kings, only community”.
Huntington’s event includes speakers, music, guided meditation for children, spectators and Narcan training as well as a travel trip for Lily’s Place, Harmony House and the local city mission, she said.
“We want to have a good time with our community, and we want to show our neighbors, especially those who do not feel sure that they come to such events, i.e. people who are minorities or not citizens who are thinking of them,” said Waldeck. She added that everyone is welcome at the impartial, non -violent protest event, “as long as they adhere to the basic rules without racism, no homophobia and transthobia”.
Debra Kilgore from Mercer County Intivigible helps to organize the event in Bluefield.
“I could no longer be silent,” said Kilgore about her reasons for protest. “I could not hope that someone else will take care of these topics and to hold our representatives into account and to account for accounting because it does not happen, especially in our state, where we have our Republican representatives in the federal government who participate with everything.
The Constitution grants the congress The authority to raise tariffs, but they have allowed Trump to “conduct the tariff show,” she said.
“They let it happen,” she said. “And so, I look at the enabler. I can no longer rely on someone else’s doing something.”
While Mercer County, like the rest of West Virginia, mostly voted to choose Trump in a second term, Kilgore told humans in the course of the year that they no longer support the president.
“More and more people say:” You know, maybe I voted for Trump, but I didn’t expect that, “she said.” Or people who never voted for Trump, but in this area there are fear to say: “I’m not a Trump voter”, make her presence known. “
The events on Saturday come because the protests against Trump’s immigration policy in Los Angeles are continued.
The Trump administration sends almost 5,000 troops and marines to the National Guard against the wishes of the California governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom, a democrat, called Trump’s step a “brazen abuse of power”, so News reports.
In Texas, the Republican governor Greg Abbott used the National Guard throughout the state, as further demonstrations are expected there on Wednesday.
“Peaceful protest is legal,” Abbott wrote on the social media platform X. “Damage to a person or property is illegal and will lead to arrest. [The Texas National Guard] Use every tool and strategy to support law enforcement in maintaining order.
Waldeck said she was concerned that the national guard was used to react to protests against newsoma, but she is not concerned that the protests themselves become violent.
“We are obviously aware of the national situation and [host organization] 50501 is steadfast in his commitment to peaceful protests, so we are trained there in the de -escalation if there are counter -protesting, ”said Waldeck.
Cindy Stemmle, chairman of Randolph County’s democratic executive committee, said the event that she is planning for Elkins will be a “peaceful celebration of our country and our flag”. The event will contain loudspeakers and musicians. If you want to sing or play an instrument, you can do this.
“I think the protests will generally be peaceful when Trump and everyone stimulate the people,” said Stample. “This is my feeling. Now I’m not in LA, I don’t know. I’m not in Texas. I’m not in DC, but if you have someone who threatens the first right, the right to have the right to peaceful protest is a problem.”
Stample said that the event on Saturday will be the Elkins Community eighth anti-trump and “pro-democracy” rally. In each individual you have also collected donations for the needs of the community such as flood residues for South -West Virginia or contributions to the local dinner, she said.
“We try every time we stop one of the most good – and I call it a celebration,” she said. “We become friends [and] Allieds only stood for our country and enjoy the time together. “
The rallies are planned for:
- 12 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. in Morgan County in Berkeley Springs
- Lunch until 1:30 p.m. on the corner of King and Queen Roads in Martensburg
- Saturday at 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bluefield Downtown Park, Bundes- und Commerce Street in Bluefield
- Lunch in the Hart Avenue and in the Kanawha Street in Buckhannon
- 10 a.m. in the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown
- 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Heritage Station in Huntington
- At noon until 2 p.m. in the State Capitol in Charleston
- 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Washington Street West and Jefferson Street in Lewisburg
- Lunch until 1:30 a.m. in the Randolph County Courthouse in Elkins
- 1 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the courthouse of Hampshire County in Romney
- 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the McMurran Hall in Shepherdstown
- 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Madison Elementary School in Wheeling
You can find more information at Univivable.org
