“Democracy is being attacked.”
The words came from Edgar Herrera, standing on the corner of LaGrange Road and Cossitt Avenue with his family and their dog, Snoopy.
Around him, close to a thousand people filled downtown LaGrange for the No Kings Rally, organized by Indivisible West Suburban Chicago and the Young Democrats of Lyons Township.
LaGrange was just one stop in a nationwide day of rallies held Saturday, Oct. 18, led by Indivisible chapters and community groups urging people to stand up for democracy and the right to vote.
Homemade signs caught eyes as they swayed above the crowd, cardboard and poster board with marker ink still drying. Some were funny, others blunt. “No Kings.” “Democracy Is Being Attacked.” “Love Should Win.”
A passing dog wore a hand-lettered sign that read, “I fart on fascists.”
The gathering kept building, people joining in twos and threes until the sidewalks were full. Families stood shoulder to shoulder as more people arrived, chanting “No Kings!” and “Tell me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” Drivers honked as they passed, a few waving back at the crowd.
“If you are a person that loves America, it’s really important right now to stand up for its ideals,” said Kathleen King, adding that the crowd “helps restore hope in people to know that each person’s smile can make a difference.”
People came dressed in everything from jeans and T-shirts to full costumes, including dinosaurs, aliens, and even a mock version of the commander in chief, in a baby outfit.
Others handed out water, waved flags, or chatted with neighbors they had never met before. Nearby, Teresa Rosendez shared why this matters for her, “I’m the daughter of immigrants,” said Rosendez. “I’m happy to see so many people supporting not only immigrants but all the other issues this government is failing us on.”
“It’s empowering,” added Nancy Marquez. “Even though those in office may have control, people standing up for what they believe in shows that love should win. We’re not here to fight, just to stand for what we believe in.”
Others who declined to share their names said attending felt like an obligation, a way to exercise their rights, not just talk about them.
Kim and Rick, who did not share their last name, came because, in their words, “Democracy endures only where people dare to defend the freedom of every voice, not just their own.”
The message was loud and clear, carried in chants, signs, and community. Peaceful from start to finish.
Grant Park rally
Meanwhile, in downtown Chicago an estimated 250,000 people packed Butler Field in Grant Park to hear a dozen speakers decry Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration crackdown in Chicago launched by the Trump administration last month.
The speakers represented local leaders from organized labor, immigrants rights groups, the American Civil Liberties Union, civil rights and gay rights advocates. Elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Jonathon Jackson and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also spoke.
“They want a rematch of the Civil War,” Mayor Johnson said of the Trump administration.
The multi-generational crowd responded with slogans including: “Hands off Chicago,”; “U-S-A; U-S-A,” and “No hate, no fear; immigrants are always welcome hear.” The throngs filed onto Michigan Avenue forming lines of almost two miles long, after Gov. J.B. Pritzker told them to “never surrender to authoritarians.”
Chicago police reported disrupted traffic and no arrests.
What a GREAT DAY it was!!!