Hundreds of No Kings protesters gathered in Watson Park Saturday to join a nationwide wave of demonstrations to “reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like,” according to organizers.
Saturday was Flag Day, Trump’s 79th birthday and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The Army and Trump administration planned a large parade for the occasion in Washington, D.C., estimated to cost up to $45 million.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” the No Kings website states. “The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.”
Many in attendance at the Lawrence No Kings protest held high signs bearing messages such as “Make Orwell fiction again,” “Only butterflies should be monarchs,” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
A person with a megaphone encouraged protesters to line up at a table covered in butcher paper and markers to write opinions and “make your voice heard,” while chants of “No kings” echoed through the park.
Lawrence resident Dan Spurgin felt compelled to attend the No Kings protest due to his fear of fascism. For Spurgin, voting is not enough to hold off the “fascist tendencies” he sees in the federal government.
“It’s not just Trump, it’s the lack of understanding about the implications of what he is doing, what his cabinet is doing,” Spurgin continued while waving a large American flag. “Instead of just waiting for the ballot box, I feel like we need to be more present, more visible.”
Lenny Knight and Eri, Potawatomi and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, federally known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, traveled from the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation Reservation in Jackson County to participate in the Lawrence protest.
“I’m mostly walking in memory of those we lost, like Jonathan Joss, who we lost on the first of Pride Month, and everyone else affected by the homophobic and transphobic and racist violence,” Knight said. “And I think it’s really important to really speak up about it, because if it’s any more silent, then it’ll be like encouraging it.”
Organizers with Arc of Justice, a grassroots newsletter for Kansas activism, encouraged people from Lawrence to attend the affiliated No Kings protest in Topeka.
However, Lawrence residents like Lance Hill felt that a protest in Lawrence was also vital.
For Hill, who said he is “not fully ambulatory,” local protests reduce travel burden and increase accessibility. Demonstrations in Lawrence additionally allow for neighbors to collaborate more directly.
“But I also believe in horizontal politics,” he said. “I believe the most effective politics is people-to-people, neighbor-to-neighbor, friend-to-friend, relative-to-relative — that that has more of an impact than top-down politics.”
Josie travelled from Johnson County to join the Lawrence demonstration. She was driven to participate by “outrage.”
“It’s infuriating me, seeing what’s happening, and it makes me feel better seeing all these like-minded individuals surrounding me trying to do more and get connected with people,” Josie said.
She wore a Palestinian keffiyeh and a Mexican flag wrapped around her neck.
“This (the flag) I have — my family comes from Mexico,” Josie said. “This (the keffiyeh) is to end the genocide. And I think it’s pretty much straightforward as that.”
A protest originally planned for Saturday afternoon in Lawrence’s South Park was canceled as it overlapped with the annual Lawrence Juneteenth celebration. The demonstration was set for 1 to 3 p.m. in Watson Park.
But the majority of the protesters dispersed a little after 2 p.m. when the person with the microphone encouraged protesters to walk to South Park, the location of the Juneteenth festival, “not for protest but for celebration.”
Protests took place throughout Kansas, including in Topeka, Ottawa, Lenexa and Kansas City. The Kansas Reflector reported on the anticipated presence of state troopers in advance of these demonstrations. There did not appear to be a strong law enforcement presence at the Lawrence protest.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), community reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
