By Cimarron Buser
On a beautiful fall Saturday, more than 500 people stood in front of Wellesley Town Hall for a second “No Kings” rally. The demonstrations focus on what participants describe as authoritarian policies of Donald Trump and corruption within his administration.
The Wellesley event was organized by community members, the League of Women Voters, and other local groups. The noon gathering included chanting, singing, and residents sharing their thoughts with the crowd.
One of the key organizers, Ann-Mara Lanza, said, “I’m just one of those people who, when I see a problem, want to get out there and do something about it. It started with being outside of Town Meeting, and that moved into organizing rallies on an ongoing basis in Wellesley. What we’ve done is try to have a presence in Wellesley whenever there’s a national call—we want Wellesley to be part of it as well.”
Jessica Fixler, a 28-year resident of Wellesley, said, “I am disgusted, horrified, and terribly scared by what’s going on in this country and what Trump is doing—and all of his minions. I can’t sleep thinking about it. I’m here to show my support, and I feel like it’s the least I can do.”
While most participants were Wellesley residents, one family traveled from western Massachusetts to take part. “The truth is we came here because we were passing through from eastern Mass to western Mass, and it’s near the Pike. We didn’t want to miss this important event today, and I think we all should participate in protecting our democracy.”
Ed Sevilla, a longtime resident of Wellesley, shared that this was the second No Kings Day he had attended. “Each time the crowd gets bigger because each time our country is in greater peril. I’m pro-democracy, and I’m very concerned about the direction the country’s going—very specifically, the ICE raids and the violence against all kinds of people.”
Beth Shedd, who has lived in Wellesley since 1989, said, “I’m here today with a sense of hope that we have like-minded, kind people who want to show up and make a difference. It pleases me to see the number of people who have stood up and are public with their feelings about our country.”
More than 2,700 demonstrations took place across the U.S. on Oct. 18 in protest of the Trump administration. The previous No Kings rally in June was one of the largest single days of protest in U.S. history, and according to news reports, Saturday’s turnout appeared to closely match that record. In Wellesley, crowd photographs show an increase in participants compared with the June protest.
