Happy Sunday all. Yesterday was an important day. Millions and millions rose up across the country. A vital Democratic leader in Minnesota was assassinated, and another survived a separate assassination attempt. Trump had his sad birthday parade.
There will be time to write and make sense of all this, to discuss and plan next steps. But today let’s just spend time with the many, many reports we’ve received from members of this plucky, proud and patriotic community and some photos and videos too. I strongly encourage everyone to read the reports from across the US that Hopium members left yesterday, and will again today. There is perhaps no better way to understand the magnitude of what happened on this historic No Kings Day. So let’s get to it:
From Art B:
At age 81 I attended my first NKD and Flag Day protest in Ellenton Florida a town close to where we live. Trump didn't have to pay us to attend. Our guess is that between 1200 and 1500 folks lined the Ellenton, Florida Library sidewalks next to Route 301. Of the hundreds of signs we saw "So Much wrong and So little cardboard."
Moments ago we called our GOP senators and congressmen via 5 Calls. com to say:
"The GOP’s fear-based leadership contributed to the Minneapolis, MN assassinations today. Those deaths will be remembered as the watershed moment of the GOP’s endorsement of lawlessness and THE reason why republicans will lose many 2025-2028 elections. "
From Laura:
My sister and I went to the “No Kings” protest in very red Greenville SC. It wasn’t very red today! Estimate over 5000 showed up. It was peaceful and joyful. We had speakers followed by dancing to great music. It was AWESOME!!
From Elizabeth T:
There had to have been at least 5,000 in Durham, NC. NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls led us off on a joyous march through downtown. My 84-year-old mother-in-law took two 90-year-old friends to a protest on the side of the highway near their retirement home in southeast PA. She said at least 50 residents showed up.
From Neal:
My wife & I participated in a MASSIVE, High Energy NO KINGs demonstration today in Oceanside/Carlsbad CA. Even many of the cars & trucks passing by were displaying their own No Kings signs to the wildly patriotic crowd. This crowd represented the overwhelming sentiments of the Americans that I know. This is the American Vision that my father, uncles, older cousins AND the fathers, uncles & older cousins of all my friends fought for in WWII.
From Veronica:
Here in the Rio Grande Valley area of South Texas, I went to the rally, holding up a sign that read: "Love, not hate; Knowledge, not ignorance; Kindness, not cruelty" on one side. And on the other side: "ALL the people; NO KINGS!" The highway and boulevard were lined with people feeling the same way. It was peaceful. No violence, no arrests.
Peaceful protesting is the way to go. 👍🏼
From Deborah:
Protests in Albuquerque at Mariposa Basin Park were peaceful and cheery, lots of music, clever signs, speeches from Melanie Stansbury, Mayor Keller and others in the community. I carried a pole with the U.S. and NM flags while dressed in red, white and blue. Sent a few photo links to Hopium email. Local coverage here https://www.krqe.com/photo-galleries/photos-no-kings-rally-at-mariposa-basin-park/ and here https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-no-kings-day-trump-protests/65065044
"All we are saying, is give Impeachment a chance."
From Matt C:
This morning, my wife attended/volunteered for an overpass protest in Park City with an estimated crowd of 700 that spilled into a nearby intersection while I attended the first Salt Lake City rally of the day with an estimated crowd approaching 7,000. Tonight, we will both be attending a second SLC rally & March. There are 18 scheduled across the state of Utah today, which is amazing for this super red state.
From Stuart:
Self-reporting here. I went to the No Kings rally in Bullhead City, AZ. We had a pretty good turnout and a lot of people drove by us honking their horns is support--this in a community that has a strong MAGA presence and following! People were coming out in defiance! One interesting note was that there were a few pro-Trump counter-protesters and they were assembled across from us in front of a Taco Bell (Taco, Taco Man!). How hiliarously ironic is that!
From Jeanette:
Indivisible The 915, a new group in El Paso TX organized a No Kings protest expecting a high turn out of around 300-500 people if we were lucky. After the events in LA, the numbers grew to over 1,100 sign upsby the 13th.
We had probably 2,500-3,000 attending
In 100+ temps. The number of cars that passed by in support was unheard of.
I think El Pasoans woke up after L.A. It was a big, racous party.
From Tim W:
I just returned from the St. Paul, Minnesota No Kings rally. Really unbelievable to see something like 80,000 people show up after being warned by the governor not to attend. It was somber, it was resolute, it was defiant, and it was cathartic. I have sent pictures to Simon so that you all can see for yourselves in the coming days.
I would like to give a special set of thanks to the Attorney General of Minnesota, Keith Ellison. After the assassination of Speaker Hortman and her husband, he was flat out told not to come today. Not only did he show up, but he was at the front of our march to the capitol and then he spoke eloquently and with passion to the entire crowd. It was a badass move and it reinforced that we are all in this together.
I come away from this day so sad at the loss of Speaker Hortman and her husband. But I am also coming away from today more resolute than ever. Our community showed up and supported each other in the face of evil and unspeakable sadness. We are not alone, and we are so much stronger than the evil that wants to keep us scared and feeling helpless.
Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Keep supporting one another. It was so great to see our state turn out today. We will not bend the knee.
From Beth K:
Philly amazed. Estimated 80000 to 100000. Jamie Raskin gave brilliant remarks. Barber. Others. Utterly and restoratively peaceful. Not even trash being left in the streets. So many friends. Just gorgeous.
From Bill T:
Over 450 people peacefully demonstrating in No King Day in McCall Idaho, a small town of 3500, in a county of 11,000. The largest political demonstration in modern history in our town.
From Kathy P:
My husband and I usually protest in Hartford, CT but attended the No Kings Protest in Ogunquit, Maine today…our first day of vacation! What a fabulous start to our week! About 800 enthusiastic protesters with many creative signs lined Route 1 on both sides of the street as summer vacation traffic passed by. It was a steady stream of horn honking, hand waving, thumbs up affirmation! So energizing and encouraging! 🚫👑🪧🇺🇸
From Irene:
I attended the No Kings Rally at Watsonville Ca. This area is an agricultural hub found along Hiway 1 in Central California. I usually attend the Santa Cruz rallies but was invited to join a friend in Watsonville. Because the area is so agricultural the Hispanic population is very high and the local community has fully embraced their immigrant population. For a small town it was impressive to see about 1800 energized patriot protesters taking over the Central Plaza there. It was electrified! Lots of shared smiles and compliments for favorite signs, lots of honking for the sudden “ car parade” which sprung up. Tables of cardboards and coloring pens were available to make signs; there were speakers and a dance group of young Hispanic girls in their beautiful colorful dresses and amazingly done hair does with flowers or combs. It felt like a colorful joyous festival but everyone shared the same serious intention. There were pictures being taken next to the impressive exhibit of a Rocket Ship with trump seated on it, being shipped to Mars?!?
The sense of shared community values was wonderful.
I carried my large American Flag.🇺🇸 🇺🇸
From Catherine:
Self-report: Behind the Montana "maga" Curtain
In The Bozeman Chronicle yesterday, it reported that there were going to be 27, yes 27 planned No Kings protests throughout Montana.
Today, June 14th, we attended Bozeman's protest. Our newspaper estimated 3,000 people attened from this small town of 50,000. There was an 18 member drum group, lots of great signs, young and old people, laughter, community joy, and fearlessness and determination to fight the fascists.
Pamsy shared this incredible, must watch video from Chaska, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis:
From Sarah in Chicago:
From Rachel in Needham, MA:
From Leslie in Eugene, OR:
From Dan in Lancaster, PA:
From Kelly in Charleston:
From Carita in Bastrop, TX:
From Deborah P in Albuquerque, NM:
From Pam in Knoxville, TN:
From Tim W in Minneapolis:
From Matt D in Santa Fe:
From Sarah in Philadelphia:
Thank you all. It is a privilege to be in this fight with all of you. Keep sending photos to community@hopiumchronicles.com and keep offering reports from your experiences yesterday below. And remember:
The power of the people is always greater than the people in power.
Onward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Simon
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Original show date June 12, 2025
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