Local coalition to march against Trump’s ‘kingly’ presidency
By Ken Magri
This Saturday should be an eventful day in Chico, as Flag Day coincides with a local protest being organized against President Trump by a coalition of pro-democracy groups.
The “No King” protest march is part of a nationwide series of protests planned for June 14 in over 1,500 cities and all 50 states. Chico’s demonstration is organized by Indivisible Chico and the Defenders of Democracy Coalition, which includes the Democratic Action Club of Chico, the Chico Peace Alliance, Chico Resist and Oroville Resist.
This year, President Trump has co-opted Flag Day for a large military parade in Washington, D.C. commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary. But critics say that the $45 million event is an excuse to celebrate his 79th birthday which also falls on June 14.
Participants are asked to bring American flags and homemade signs to downtown Chico’s Hands sculpture at 10:00 a.m. Protestors will then march through the Saturday Farmers Market, the downtown area and to Plaza Park. According to ButteCountyDems.org, the event is meant to be “a peaceful show of opposition to Trump’s kingly aspirations and behavior.”
In April, Indivisible Chico and other groups inspired an estimated 3,500 people to attend Chico’s “Hands Off” protest, another nationwide effort to express discontent with Trump policies. Attendance for the last “No King” march in May reportedly drew in 800 participants. But due to recent ICE-related events in Los Angeles, Chico organizers are expecting over 1,000 marchers on Saturday.
About the organizations protesting
Indivisible Chico began on March 9 as an all-volunteer group and part of the nationwide Indivisible organization that opposes authoritarian policies. The national organization has over one million members and 1,500 chapters nationwide. The organization says its members take “regular, iterative, and increasingly complex actions to resist the GOP’s agenda, elect local champions, and fight for progressive policies.”
Local participants agree with that description.
“Indivisible Chico holds that the word ‘indivisible’ defines our citizenry,” said Kendy Moa, steering committee member for Indivisible Chico. “It is a word central to the pledge of our allegiance to our country. We come together, knowing the more of us who do, the more indivisible we are.”
“The impulse toward protest is growing all around the country from concerned citizens,” said Moa. “We want our country and community to function within our legal rights, without threat of harm by our government and from our fellow citizens.”
On May 28, Indivisible Chico also hosted an “Empty Chair Town Hall” with a missing US Representative Doug La Malfa. The event drew over 350 people.
Additionally, it conducts monthly meetings, weekly protests in front of US Representative La Malfa’s Chico office, and weekly vigils at the Social Security office.
The Chico Peace Alliance, another participant, stresses “positive, non-violent political activist alliance among the numerous entities concerned with peace and social justice issues locally, nationally, and globally.”
On June 21, the alliance co-hosts a harassment de-escalation and intervention training workshop in conjunction with Chico’s Stonewall Alliance.
Saturday’s gathering will also have faces from the Democratic Action Club of Chico, which began in 1997 in an effort to promote Democratic Party candidates and issues throughout the community. It holds meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 pm at Beatniks Coffee House on 1387 E 8th Street in Chico.
Chico and Oroville Resist are also part of this broad coalition. They are chapters of NorCal Resist and work together to organize protests, vigils, and advocacy efforts across Butte County.
Flag Day history
Flag Day was first celebrated by a Wisconsin school teacher, Bernard Cigrand, who encouraged his students to observe what he called “Flag Birthday” on June 14, 1885. It commemorated the day in 1777 that the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted America’s design of stars and stripes for the new army it had created.
President Woodrow Wilson picked up the idea and proclaimed the date as Flag Day in 1916. President Harry Truman changed it to National Flag Day in 1949. While not a national holiday, Pennsylvania celebrates it as a state holiday.
Last February Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R/NY) introduced the “Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act” into Congress to officially designate June 14 as a federal holiday commemorating both Trump’s birthday and Flag Day.
The “No King” protests are designed to rescue the American flag’s importance from what many see as Trump’s jingoistic exploitation of it, which critics view as authoritative and non-democratic.
“This symbol resolves our country’s democratic, not aristocratic, underpinnings.” said Moa. “We are bringing our community together to celebrate on Flag Day, which commemorates the then-new flag representing the union and independence of the United States from tyranny in 1776.”
Peacefully protesting urged
While the overall theme of Saturday’s event is well-defined, organizers ask that protestors march peacefully for whatever specific issue they represent.
Marchers are expected to protest against many policies Trump has created in the last four months. That includes his decision on June 6 to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, against Governor Newsom’s wishes, when ICE raids drew protests in the heavily diverse neighborhoods of Compton and Paramount.
Support for veterans, laid-off federal workers and the LGBTQ+ community are also on the current menu of Chico protest issues, as well as protesting federal budget cuts and La Malfa’s participation in endorsing the Trump agenda.
goodbye downtown business sector
please, America loving people show up to protest the protesters.we have to stand against these supporters of criminals and destruction. They have know answers, just hate. Stand tall for our amazing country,there’s more of us than them, we just have to show.
Keep your doors open, we might buy something as we peacefully march by or close your doors and join us!!
We are supporting our democratic rights to protest the increasing degradation of those rights. Peaceful protest to affirm our goals of a fair and just society.
These protests are another excuse to burn and destroy property! What else can we expect from Democrats! Just what they are doing nationwide! At least President Trump called in the Marines for L.A.! Prayers for the communities, Police, Firemen, and the National Guard!