No Kings rally brings out Auburn protesters | Photos

A cacophony of honking horns greeted the sea of signs held aloft at the intersection of 15th Street NE and Auburn Way North on Saturday afternoon, June 14, in protest of the hardline immigration policies of the Trump Administration.

The “No Kings” protesters in Auburn under those signs stuck to the sidewalks, kept out of traffic, even waited politely for the lights to change before crossing the street.

All the while, they were rawly yet peaceably proclaiming their love of country, Constitution, and their free-speech right to say exactly what they thought of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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“I just feel like I have to do something about what’s going on,” Christina, an Auburn resident, explained of what brought her out. “It’s not right to take people out of their homes, out of their job places. We live in a democracy. It needs to be respected. Free speech is a constitutional right. “

Joe, who has lived in Auburn for 14 years, said he does not like what he’s been seeing in the last months.

“The way Trump’s handling his business is not the way our country was founded,” said Joe. “I have a lot of friends who are here illegally, but at the same time, I know they have family. I don’t need to see people ripped out of middle schools. That stuff really bothers me…Obviously, there’s a lot of misinformation out there, so I check to make sure my sources are right. Everyone’s like ‘LA’s burning,’ but it’s like 1 percent of the whole of LA.”

“I don’t think that anyone in office is above the law, including the president, and we should not label him as king, because he’s not a king,” said Auburn City Councilmember Yolanda Trout-Manuel. “He’s been elected by the country. That doesn’t make him king. Anyone in public office should be held accountable.”

As she spoke, in long-established protest-style, cross-street choruses exchanged chants of, “Hey, hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go. He, hey, ho ho…”

Protesters did not confine their remarks to immigration alone.

“I don’t know where to start, there’s so much wrong,” said Nancy. “This particular person is a malignant narcissist, sociopath, completely disgusting, doesn’t care about anybody but himself. He’s attempting to cut Medicaid funds in his big, ugly bill, and yet he wants to spend $45 million to $90 million on a military parade just to celebrate his birthday!”

“We are a nation of immigrants,” Nancy continued. “The president’s mother was an immigrant. His father was an anchor baby. That makes him an anchor baby. He is treating people inhumanely, and I can’t just stand around and not do anything about it.”

Vicki Bates, former assistant superintendent of the Auburn School District, explained what brought her to the protest.

“We’re letting people know that we are not going to stand for an authoritarian leader in this country. We’re here for democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law, and we’re going to push back until we get it, not just for ourselves, but for our kids and our grandkids,” Bates said.

Daniel Stevenson, a member of the Tribal Council of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, said what brought people out to the many protests throughout the nation against the Trump Administration on Saturday was justified fear.

“Anyone who is a member of marginalized or historically under-served populations is in a really rough spot during this current administration,” Stevenson said.

“The added component for me as an elected leader of a sovereign nation,” Stevenson said, “is that the federal government also has a duty and responsibility in terms of the trust relationship that exists. And these policy decisions that are being made unilaterally at the executive level by one man and the cronies who support what he is doing take away from that responsibility.”

Case in point, Stevenson noted, is that the United States has the largest, pre-paid medical care system in the history of the world, and all Indian health falls under the Medicaid and Medicare system — and all of that is being considered for substantial cuts.

“So, when you cut that unilaterally,” Stevenson said, “that’s taking away from people that were promised health care in trade for what was once 99.9 percent Indian-owned land. When you cut education programs, you are taking away from them what you promised in trade for the land. When you cut the federal dollars that come through HUD for housing, you are taking those opportunities from them. So, you’re going back on your word.

“It’s just another example of what happened during the colonial history of the country. And it’s being done in a way that’s so severe that all people are feeling it,” Stevenson said.

If any supporters of the Trump Administration’s policies were present at the June 14 rally, they kept out of sight, as the Auburn Reporter was unable to find them.