URBANA, Ill. — On Saturday, the Champaign County Courthouse became the backdrop for a protest against President Donald Trump’s administration. This local gathering was part of the nationwide “No Kings Day of Action.”
Tracey Dougan, co-leader of Champaign County Indivisible and one of the event’s speakers, anticipated a crowd of 5,000 participants. Earlier in the year, Urbana’s inaugural No Kings demonstration attracted approximately 3,000 attendees, Dougan noted.
Dougan highlighted the deployment of the National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in various U.S. cities as key motivations for organizing a second protest.
“Donald Trump is raising the stakes, so we are too,” Dougan stated. “When we all come together and voice our refusal to accept these actions, it sends a clear message that change is necessary.”
Some Republican lawmakers across the country, however, are speaking out against the movement. US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) called the protests “Hate America Rallies.”
“You’re going to bring together the Marxists, the Socialists, the Antifa advocates, the anarchists and the pro-Hamas wing of the far-left Democrat Party,” Johnson said.
Dougan said that’s not the case, calling Urbana’s protest an exercise of people’s First Amendment rights.
“We are being more American than [Trump] ever imagined, what we’re doing is a constitutionally protected thing,” Dougan.
Other Central Illinois organizations spoke at the rally as well. The following were all in attendance: ACLU of Champaign County, ACLU of Illinois, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Champaign-Urbana, Champaign County Democrats, Champaign-Urbana Resistance Effort (CURE), Indivisible Illinois, Indivisible Vermilion County, Illini Democrats and Young Democratic Socialists of America.
The Secretary for Illini Democrats, Rey Camas, said assembling peacefully is something college students should continue to do during the movement.
“A lot of people tell us young people are the future,” Camas said. “But we are also the present, we can also get involved right now and not wait for the future.”
Camas said the demonstration is just one part of what’s necessary to create the change he wants to see.
“Although this is a good step, I think there are other ways we can get involved,” Camas said. “I want people to go back to their communities, help out and get involved with all these local organizations.”
Still, Dougan said seeing some in the community come together may inspire others moving forward.
“I want people to grab onto the hope something like this gives us,” Dougan said.
