By Mary Wernke
ALLIANCE, Neb. - A span of generations crowded the mini-park at 3rd Street and Box Butte Avenue Saturday morning for the third NO KINGS rally internationally. About 90-100 individuals marched, carried signs and shared stories about the movement against the current administrations and their authoritative policies. Eight million were in attendance at rallies across the United States and many foreign countries.
Signs ranged from support for agriculture, NPR and PBS, immigrants and human rights for individuals disappeared, beaten and killed, including two Minneapolis residents during the ICE occupation there. Other signs disparaged the president, one reading simply “ENOUGH!”
An inflatable dinosaur, manned by nurse Bonnie Fankhauser, said she was standing in solidarity with her frog brothers in Portland. In Oregon, dozens of individuals wore frog costumes to belie the scary nature some claimed were in the dissenting opinions.
One young man joining the Rally FOR America was Michael Lucas, 14-years-old of Alliance.
“I used to be Republican,” he shared in a side whisper. “But my grandma changed my mind.” Even Lucas' zipper charms carried signs. “No ICE.” and “NO KINGS.”
“He’s very opinionated,” grandma Mary Bourquin said.
Avery Smith and her friend Stella were the youngest in contrast to many of the resistance movement from the 1970s. They wore rainbow beads and a wide variety of friendship bracelets in support of various human rights issues.
“People shouldn't be discriminated against for their skin color or if they are LGBTQ+,” Smith said.
Organizers said the large number of supporters not able to attend Saturday’s rally due to family, school or business obligations, continue to show their backing through financial means and online discussion. The movement is hoping to influence control of the house and senate in national voting this fall.