Illinois residents, ranging from the cityscape of Chicago’s downtown all the way south to rural Carbondale, joined 7 million demonstrators around the world in a large-scale protest against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
The No Kings movement mobilized millions to take to the streets in all 50 states of the nation over the summer on June 14 in an attempt to drown out the military parade that coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday, according to NPR. It returned on Oct. 18, and Illinois residents united for the same purpose in places like Carbondale, Springfield and Chicago.
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A diverse crowd came together to stand in solidarity against the current administration at the No Kings protest in Turley Park. Indivisible Shawnee and Positive Action Committee Carbondale facilitated the protest.
Upon entering Turley Park, demonstrators were met with the sounds of chants, honking cars and the tunes of brass instruments and percussion.
Several protesters wore creative costumes — one person dressed as President Trump himself, their costume a little worn. The protester provided “Zombie Trump” as their name to the DE while being interviewed.
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“I’ve had this for years. I’ve used it for Halloween over and over again. I made it years ago. The suit doesn’t fit anymore,” Zombie Trump said.
While their outfit might be wearing down, their attitude was not.
“We have to be here to counteract all the bulls—: the horrible trend toward fascism. The courts won’t do it. Congress isn’t doing s—. It’s up to us, the people, to make a stand,” Zombie Trump said. “They call us antifa, which means antifascism, and if you’re not anti-fascist in this country, then you are not an American.”
Others were dressed in inflatable costumes in the spirit of the protesters in Portland, Oregon. Fran Jaffe was donning a similar outfit to the comedian and musician Robby Potylo, also known as Robby Roadsteamer. Roadsteamer has been growing in popularity for singing comedically critical songs at protests against increased ICE enforcement in cities and Trump.
Jaffe said she came to the protest for multiple reasons.
“I’m on food stamps, I’m on some help, and we’re gonna lose it,” Jaffe said. “The other end is fighting for our democracy.”
Jaffe talked about the importance and capacity for change that protests carry.
“And you know what they say, 3.5% of the population is enough to topple a regime.”
She was referring to Harvard research that claims no governments, with one exception of the 2011 Bahrain Uprising, have withstood 3.5% of its population mobilizing against it. The research also claims that nonviolent mobilization is twice as likely to succeed as violent mobilization. Both the BBC and NPR have reported on the research.
Jaffe remarked on the reasoning for fun and goofy costumes and humor during protests.
“If you don’t infuse joy and fun into your demonstrations and protests, you’re gonna lose,” Jafee said. “Don’t let them steal your fun.”
While Jaffe was explaining the role of humor in protest, a man walked past on the sidewalk and asked her if she was a dinosaur, she then told him she was an alligator. The man then held up the megaphone he was carrying and said, “Even the alligators don’t like ‘em.”
“It raises our spirits up, so we can keep fighting because with all the crap coming at us, it can become demoralizing,” Jaffe said.
Instead of costumes, a lot of demonstrators were wearing their uniforms. Juan and Miranda Hernandez were both demonstrators who had served in the military. Juan Hernandez served from 2008 to 2015 in the U.S Army. Miranda Hernandez was an active-duty military police officer for six years.
“I’ve heard, I have not seen personally, but I have read articles where veterans are getting snatched because they are brown, and that’s why I am out here because I am a brown Hispanic veteran,” Juan Hernandez said. “My dad is brown, he is scared to leave his house in Chicago to go do what any normal citizen has the right to do, which is just go out, live your life, go grocery shopping, go see a movie, but he’s not doing that because he is afraid he is going to get illegally deported by ICE.”
Hernandez was also concerned about the current state of the government and how it would affect veterans.
“With this government shutdown, what are we gonna do if they don’t pay us (veterans)?” Hernandez said.
The government shutdown has caused many to feel uncertain about federal compensation. The shutdown will not impact the processing and delivery of VA benefits such as pension, compensation, housing and education benefits. It is estimated that 97% of VA employees will work during the shutdown, according to the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs.
“America was never great, but it had potential,” Miranda Hernandez said. She talked about the country’s history of slavery, white supremacy and how she felt America was regressing.
She talked about the division felt within the country and the obligation she had to the constitution.
“The people at the top are to blame,” Hernandez said. “They want us separated. They want us fighting race wars, gender wars, culture wars, religious wars, so we don’t fight a class war.
“I love my country, I have always loved my country. I gave my first six years of adulthood to being an active duty military police officer. I made an oath. I fought for it then, and I’ll fight for it now.”
Some protesters took a march to the street against the wishes of the organizers. Adam Ashby, the student president of the SIU chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, joined the march.
“There was a march that took the streets, led by a fairly large section of the rally. As we were coming back, some of the protest marshals gave us some crap about it,” Ashby said. “We were still able to have an informative and good conversation with them afterwards about differences in tactics and the necessity of having multiple.”
Demonstrators had different signs, pressing issues and ideas of moving forward. Some seasoned demonstrators had been protesting since the Vietnam War, and some had never been to a protest before. There were different ideas even on tactics, but all of them were united to stand against the current administration by voicing their frustrations, singing and laughing together.
Just up north from Carbondale, thousands gathered at the Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield to protest, which turned into a half-mile march to the old State Capitol building with signs and chants.
Most participants held up signs and some used symbolism to share their opinions such as dressing up as handmaids from the dystopian novel and TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the character Towelie from “South Park” and chickens, among other costumes.
Some protesters brought their kids and grandkids. Barb Vincent, who had her grandson Owen asleep in her arms, mentioned that this was his fourth protest.
The protest remained peaceful with one altercation that was separated quickly when a protester was yelling into a truck of a counterprotester, and then was pulled away from the vehicle and sent home. Passing cars honked in support of the protest, and a few cars gave negative reactions in which protesters would stand in front of the vehicle and hold signs while the stoplight was red.
Community members and speakers from both parties spoke such as comptroller candidate Holly Kim, family physician Dr. Julia Rozier, The Rev. Martin Woulfe and others.
“We are in the midst of a falling empire, but you know what? We are the safety net.” Rozier said.
Many of the protesters echoed similar sentiments about topics like the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a tax and spending law signed in July, restrictions on freedom of speech and ICE raids.
“I want my children and grandchildren to be proud of our country,” Attendee Catherine Brower said. “I can’t just sit at home and do nothing. We love our country and what’s happening is not normal.”
The event was organized by the group Undivided and Focused, which is led by Tara Berchneider.
“My mission (is) that we’re undivided by our differences and we’re focused on resisting the authoritarian regime and protecting all human rights, civil liberties,” Berchneider said. “We just believe love is action, and so we don’t stop moving.”
This is not the only time Undivided and Focused will be marching at the state capital. They plan to march again for All Souls Day on Nov. 5, 2025. The group will start in our state capital in Springfield, but will move straight to our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C.
“We are then carpooling out to Washington, D.C., for refusing fascism, and it is a worldwide event, and everybody is going to be there at the White House,” Berchneider said.
Over 300 miles away from Carbondale, a sea of people stood outside of Grant Park on Jackson Boulevard in Chicago, the starting point of the No Kings protest for tens of thousands of attendees who marched, held signs and chanted through megaphones — the start of the march led by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
The protest spanned over 2 miles, snaking through the downtown streets of Chicago, passing the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Protesters booed, chanted and flicked off the building while waving their signs in the air en masse.
Before the protest began, the crowd gathered in Butler Field at Grant Park, where music played and leaders such as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. Pritzker spoke.
“We are here to stand firm, to stand committed that we will not bend, we will not bow, we will not cower, we will not submit to the authority– authoritarianism that is coming down,” Mayor Johnson said to the large crowd who cheered in response.
In the back of the field, a giant replica of the U.S. Constitution was rolled out along the grass, scribbled with thousands of signatures and messages, intended for people to sign.
Gale Ahrens, a Chicago resident and St. Louis native, kneeled down and signed her name shortly after her arrival. This wasn’t her first protest — she’s been to nearly every No Kings event so far.
“I’m really against Trump and his so-called policies,” Ahrens said. “We’re old hippies from the ‘60s, and we know the power of protests.”
Many attendees drove 30 minutes out of the city to Broadview, Illinois to protest outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. A smaller crowd, a little over 100, danced to music and yelled at the Illinois State Police and a couple of fully masked ICE officers who looked to be taking video and photos of the crowd.
Once the sun went down, the Broadview police urged the protesters to leave at the 6 p.m. protest curfew set by the Broadview mayor. With no give from the protesters, the Illinois State Police lined up, fully suited and began to push the crowd toward the intersection of Lexington Street and 25th Avenue by small groups of kettling.
There was a short standoff between the State Police and the protesters before the police retreated to the Facility to leave the protesters to continue on before they all began to make their way home.
A protester who asked to be referred to as Max had finished her third protest of the day as she sat at the intersection after the Illinois State Police dispersed and the crowd of protesters began to leave.
“They’ve been aggressive with the pushing, with an incredibly peaceful crowd of people who are really just standing in costumes, attempting to, like, kettle us, push us into the street and then yell at us to get out of the street,” Max said.
She had been to the facility a few times and said it was relatively calmer than times before, with most of the protesters being incredibly peaceful and, at times, joyous, she said.
“It’s been hopeful for sure, I’ve been filled with a lot of despair lately for the state of everything,” Max said. “Seeing people here, seeing people at every other spot, seeing people mobilize everywhere is optimistic, just in the sense of solidarity.”
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