Tiffin joins nationwide 'No Kings' protest

TIFFIN — More than 250 residents gathered outside the Seneca County Courthouse on Saturday, October 18, to participate in the "No Kings" protest. National organizers described the event as people standing together to "reject authoritarianism and remind the world that democracy belongs to the people not one man's ambition," said Ezra Levin, in a press release from the No Kings Coalition. The Tiffin event peaked at 236 participants at one time, according to local organizers. It coincided with one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history, a "No Kings Day of Peaceful Action" that saw early 7 million Americans attend events in over 2700 cities and towns across all 50 states, according to the No Kings Coalition. Local participants cited concerns over democracy, political change, and fundamental American values as their primary reasons for attending the Tiffin protest. Several attendees emphasized the importance of preserving democratic freedoms. Randall Lovejoy stated, "I am exercising my First Amendment rights and I'm protecting our democracy." Chris Kummerer simply affirmed his purpose was to "save our democracy." Joseph Burton added a broad statement on liberty: "The US is free and should always remain free!" Other residents focused on the need for accountability and change. Carol Cronin said, "When it's wrong you fix it and I want my grandson to grow up with the same rights and freedoms as I had when I was growing up." Directly criticizing the current administration, Joel Winski stated the protest was "Because our country's falling apart because of our president." The protest's anti-authoritarian theme was particularly strong. John Rucker declared, "We the people will never be ruled by a king. I can't understand how some people I know can be sucked into Trump's way of thinking." Protester Don Hoover made a statement about law enforcement, noting, "Law enforcement without due process is terrorism." The message was punctuated with humor when Darl Everhart quipped, "The only king we need is Burger King." Finally, Trenton Staib emphasized the visible engagement of younger participants: "It is critical for any change in this country that the young people get involved which I loved to see at the protest here today. This is what Democracy looks like." National organizers report historic turnout The No Kings Coalition press release described nationwide mobilization as an overwhelmingly peaceful act of defiance against authoritarianism. It stated that the turnout of nearly 7 million Americans was 2 million more than a similar event in June. The release added, "today's mobilization was 14 times larger than both of President Trump's presidential inaugurations combined, marking a historic moment of unity and resistance." The coalition highlighted that protests occurred across all 50 states, affirming that the nation belongs to its people. Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, said, "The millions of people protesting are centered around a fierce love for our country." Representatives from organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union ACLU and the American Federation of Teachers AFT, joined the coalition to denounce perceived abuses of power and defend democratic rights. Randi Weingarten, AFT president, said the Founders had one abiding principle: "We as a nation should never ever again be ruled by a tyrant or king." Veterans were also a major part of the mobilization. Naveed Shah, a U.S. Army veteran and political director for Common Defense, noted that veterans "didn't swear an oath to a king. We swore to the Constitution. And we're standing up now to say loud and clear: there are no kings in America and we will not be ruled by fear."