BOISE, ID – Waving American flags and carrying homemade signs, thousands of people took part in a “No Kings Day” protest Saturday afternoon at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.
The crowd covered the Capitol steps, filled the section of Jefferson Street in front of the building and stretched deep and wide throughout nearby Cecil D. Andrus Park as people chanted “No more kings” and “Love, not hate, makes Idaho great.”
Tammie Baker was one of thousands who attended the protest. She carried a homemade sign that read “I prefer my ICE crushed” and said her concern over the Trump administration’s policies motivated her to attend her first political protest since the 1970s.
“There is only one reason,” Baker said. “ Enough is enough of everything. This is out of control.”
“There is not much one person can do, but you have to start somewhere,” Baker added.
The “No Kings Day” protest in Boise was one of hundreds of similar protests that took place across the country Saturday.
Separate “No Kings Day” rallies were planned for Saturday in other Idaho communities as well, including Nampa, Pocatello, Moscow, McCall, Driggs, Coeur d’Alene, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls.
The “No Kings Day” protests coincided with President Donald Trump’s birthday and a military parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday held in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, a patriotic demonstration voicing support for Trump was also planned for the Idaho Falls area on Saturday, East Idaho News reported.
Idaho 50501 group helped organize Saturday’s anti-Trump protest
The activist group Idaho 50501 organized Saturday’s “No Kings Day” rally in Boise, saying it sought to peacefully demonstrate against the glorification of individual power over collective liberty. The event included live music and several speeches from local organizers.
“This is about more than one man. It’s about standing against the idea that power belongs to the few,” local organizer Chris Ross said in a written statement before the protest. “We are gathering to defend democracy, dignity and the right to dissent. Remember: when you think for yourself, you are dangerous to tyrants.”
The group is part of the wider 50501 movement, which got its name for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Gretchen Bingea of Garden City attended Saturday’s “No King Day” protest in Boise because she was concerned about ICE raids, the federal budget reconciliation bill, a rise in authoritarianism and the policies enacted by Trump.
Bingea, who said she has been to several similar rallies and protests, carried a sign that read “If there’s money for a parade then there’s money for Medicaid!”
When a reporter with the Idaho Capital Sun asked Bingea if she had a message for any policymakers listening, she said, “Do your job, they are not standing up to Trump.”
Although she is frustrated with Trump and many other elected officials, Bingea said she was heartened by the size of the crowd that filled the grounds surrounding the Idaho State Capitol on Saturday.
“It’s encouraging that people are paying attention; people know how serious this is,” Bingea said. “Power belongs to the people.”
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.
