“At the last minute the organizers of this cancelled. It was 17 degrees with up to 50 mph gusts. People still showed up. The person in charge of security and his wife took over and vetted speakers in the corner. We danced, we sang, and heard some amazing speakers. Then our secretary of state showed up Shena Bellows and really pumped us up! Such an amazing experience. We the people dissent!”

Alicia | Augusta, ME | February 17, 2025

I was the organizer for the No Kings on President's Day Protest in Beaumont, Tx. I have never been involved in a protest, much less organized one before. I decided to act when I realized that no one in our area was doing a protest. I threw this together only four days before the actual protest.

Thankfully, I found our local Indivisible group, and members from that group put in the networking required to get people to show up. We wouldn't have gotten the 40+ people that were there had it not been for members of the SETX Impact Initiative. They even got the story covered by our local newspaper, The Beaumont Enterprise.

The entire experience was surreal. We met nearby our protest location at the recommendation of one of the members. Everyone was thanking me for making this protest possible, and I know they were looking to me for leadership. I'm sure I failed in that role to a degree, but I think everyone realized that I was a reluctant leader, and they picked up the slack.

We moved to the protest location about 10 minutes before the protest, and there were already people there. It was so beautiful to see. One of the protesters found out about the event from a friend in La Grange, which is about a 3 hour drive from here. Another protester found it on Tiktok and told her sister. The last person to show up found the event at the last minute when she realized her town wasn't doing anything. She didn't arrive until about 1:30 and said she was just hoping someone would still be there.

It was so beautiful seeing everyone there, united against the actions of this administration. This isn't about being a Democrat or a Republican anymore. The actions of this administration affect us ALL. From small business owners to our farmers to every family in America. It no longer matters who each of us voted for. We need to stand together. There are Trump voters who are regretting their decision, and we really need to stop verbally holding it over their heads. Shame is a strong motivator to stay silent. But we NEED their voices too. We NEED the help of those who have turned their backs on this administration. Without it, I don't know that we can make it through.

Monica | Beaumont, TX | February 17, 2025

“My wife and I brought one of our kids who's 9-years-old. We chanted and held our signs. The crowd was buzzing. We were interviewed as queer couple with kid by a Podcaster who does the Oh No 'Merica podcast. My sign I picked up on the way in from a guy who had a handful of signs he made - I asked if I could have one and he said it was OK. My 9yo stepson was thrilled when I got the crowd to yell his chant, "Dump the Trump! Dump the Trump!" It was a good way to start off the next 4 years of doing this on the regular. We told our son to get used to this...!”

S | Portland, OR | February 17, 2025

“A friend decided to put out a call on May Day for people to show up to protest that afternoon in the circle around the courthouse in our small town. Eventually 10 people showed up, including one person who was not contacted but saw what we were doing. She carries her sign in her car so she can always join in! So many people honked, waved and thanked us! (Of course there were a few who have us the finger or told us to go home. We wished them a good day).”

Vickie | May 1, 2025