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Car horns echoed through the intersection of Maple and Lafayette streets as an estimated 700 demonstrators gathered Saturday evening to protest what they described as threats to American democracy, waving hand-lettered signs and chanting in the early fall light.
The rally, held from 4 to 5 p.m., was part of a national “No Kings Day of Peaceful Protest” and co-organized by the League of Women Voters of Marblehead. Organizers emphasized a commitment to nonviolence as participants lined the sidewalks in golden-hour sunlight, their signs visible to steady traffic passing through the intersection.
Across the North Shore, demonstrations unfolded throughout the day. In Swampscott, organizers reported between 1,000 and 2,000 attendees at a morning rally. Additional protests took place in Beverly, Gloucester and Salem. In Boston, thousands gathered on the Common for a rally featuring Mayor Michelle Wu as the headlining speaker.
Kathleen Leonardson, one of the Marblehead event’s marshals and organizers, estimated the crowd at “a little over 700” at one point, with some people walking through. She described the turnout as evidence of local engagement with national issues.
“I think it shows that Marbleheaders really do care, care about who’s at the top of the government, what the government’s doing,” Leonardson said. “Yes, and our rights, basic rights, everyone’s rights, due process, freedom of speech.”
Demonstrators held a large banner reading “Serve U.S., not Trump Inc.” alongside individual signs including “No King Any Time,” styled to resemble a street sign. One participant displayed an upside-down American flag, while another carried a sign reading “I am a veteran against fascism.” A tall acrostic sign spelled out criticisms vertically using the letters T-R-U-M-P. Some protesters wore cardboard crowns sketched in yellow, and several carried small American flags alongside their handmade signs.
The crowd remained peaceful throughout, with participants waving to passing cars and responding to supportive horn honks. Early fall leaves framed the scene as pedestrians navigated crosswalks marked by blinking orange signals. Attendees ranged from teenagers to seniors, some in patterned shirts and bright earmuffs despite the mild weather.
Barbara Cantalini, who attended after finishing work, described her concerns about the current administration.
“Personally, we’ve lost we’re losing our democracy,” Cantalini said. “We don’t need a king.”
Cantalini said immigration enforcement actions motivated her attendance. She described the atmosphere at the rally as overwhelmingly positive.
“The crowd here is amazing,” she said. “I never, never would have thought this crowd.”
Marblehead resident Alan Healy connected the rally’s message to representative government.
“It means we have a representative government … that we can vote for and that they will duly represent us,” Healy said.
When asked what motivated him to attend, Healy said activism became necessary when “you feel like there’s nothing you can do, you have to do something.”
Linda Werbner, who attended from nearby Salem, emphasized the importance of dialogue in democratic systems.
“We need to have a healthy dialog,” Werbner said. “That’s what democracy is about.”
Werbner said she found hope in seeing large turnouts across multiple communities, noting that friends reported thousands of people at the Boston rally.
Jacqueline Gross, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Gloucester who served at Cherry Point, North Carolina, linked the demonstration to her military service and oath to the Constitution.
“To me, it means that … we’re not going to be run by like a monarchy,” Gross said of what “No Kings” meant.
Gross attended the Marblehead rally because it did not conflict with her children’s activities. She said concerns about immigration enforcement affecting people she knows personally drove her to attend.
“I remember she called me crying, saying, ‘I am so scared that they’re gonna think this marriage is a sham,’” Gross said, describing a coworker’s experience navigating the immigration system after marrying a non-U.S. citizen. “Yeah, so much they’re gonna end up deporting him back to Korea.”
The “No Kings” movement takes its name from a reference to King George III, who exerted power over the American colonies before independence. The coalition behind the protests, which includes national progressive groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn, contends that current federal actions mirror authoritarian governance.
According to organizers, the protests were fueled by concerns about the government shutdown, attacks on higher education, pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute political enemies, immigration raids, deployment of federal troops in cities and legislation referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Saturday’s demonstrations marked the second major “No Kings” mobilization. In June, roughly 2,000 rallies took place nationwide in what political scientists called one of the largest single days of protest in U.S. history.
Leonardson noted the challenge of sustaining activism over time while emphasizing the importance of continued action.
“You do feel like you have to take a rest between organizing and then, yeah, then all of a sudden you go, Oh, I have to time to do something,” she said. “You have to do something. You can’t do nothing.”
She added a sobering observation about the current political climate.
“It’s always scary realizing it might be the last time you can get out here,” Leonardson said.
The weekly “No Kings” standouts continue at the corner of Maple and Lafayette at 4 p.m. Fridays, providing ongoing opportunities for local residents to gather and demonstrate their concerns about federal policies and democratic principles.
