The second iteration of 鈥淣o Kings鈥� rallies begin Saturday nationwide and in 黑料吃瓜网, as part of a meant to show mass opposition to what protest leaders call Trump鈥檚 鈥渁uthoritarian power grabs.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 Republican State Rep. Vincent Candelora takes issue with the movement鈥檚 name.
鈥淚 think headlining it as a 鈥楴o Kings鈥� rally, I probably would have looked for a different approach to that headline,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause it's just too divisive right out of the gate, and it shuts down people from having a conversation.鈥�
Still, the Republican House Minority Leader feels it鈥檚 鈥減art of our democratic process where people are able to go to the town green and express their dissatisfaction.鈥�
鈥淚 obviously don't share their concerns,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think our democracy is still strong as ever, but you know, they're free to express themselves.鈥�
The first 鈥淣o Kings鈥� protests against the Trump administration were in June when more than 7,000 people rallied at the 黑料吃瓜网 State Capitol alone.
Since then, the government has shut down, the National Guard has been deployed in major cities led by Democrats and ICE detentions have ramped up, with the latest ICE raid in 黑料吃瓜网 detaining eight people in Hamden on Wednesday.
Locally, there are registered with the official movement 鈥� that鈥檚 10 more than the state hosted in June.
Lead 黑料吃瓜网 organizer Jim Chapdelaine tells 黑料吃瓜网 it鈥檚 important for those opposed to the administration to see they鈥檙e not alone and to take collective action.
鈥淭here are powers that be that would prefer we all just stay at our houses and, I don鈥檛 know, take up crochet,鈥� Chapdelaine said in a Tuesday interview. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to build community and solidarity and unity, [and] especially important to do that in a very peaceful way.鈥�
America鈥檚 democracy
NPR reports White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson replied when asked about the 鈥淣o Kings鈥� rallies and accusations that Trump was behaving like a monarch. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in last week that the DC-area 鈥淩emove the Regime March鈥� would be filled with 鈥渢he pro-Hamas wing鈥� and 鈥渢he antifa people.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 organizer Chapdelaine says the demonstrations are about love for American democracy, rejecting claims from leading Republicans in Washington that Saturday鈥檚 events were
鈥淲e are stressing patriotism. Bring your American flags. Let鈥檚 profess our love for America publicly, loudly and peacefully,鈥� Chapdelaine said. 鈥淲e love America.鈥�
Local leaders speaking at the Hartford event include 黑料吃瓜网 U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, as well as advocates like Kica Matos of the National Immigration Law Center, Bishop John Selders of Moral Monday CT and Tabitha Sookdeo of CT Students for a Dream.
Chapdelaine said despite the protest鈥檚 serious subject matter, the Hartford rally will also be 鈥渇un.鈥� He said the gathering outside the state capitol at noon will include live music, puppets and poetry readings.
鈥淚 think the way to achieve this peaceful sort of vibe is to make people enjoy things,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou know, it's okay to do this kind of work and have fun.鈥�
Performances include singer Nekita Waller; Hartford鈥檚 Proud Drill, Drum and Dance Corp; Manchester Poet Laureate Nadia Sim; and Anne Cubberly鈥檚 giant puppets 鈥淢uchos Colores鈥� and 鈥淢other Earth.鈥�
Learn more
See where the 黑料吃瓜网 protests are scheduled
This story has been updated to include comments from 黑料吃瓜网 Republican House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora.
