It is No Kings Day in Durham, part of a national day of demonstrations against what organizers call creeping authoritarianism in America. It’s the second march of its kind, following the first held in June. By 2 p.m., the open lawn is filled shoulder to shoulder.
Sweat runs down faces, paper signs curl at the edges and still no one moves back as the crowd presses closer to the stage, waiting for the Rev. William Barber II to speak.
“Two and a half centuries ago, America struggled to break free from a king,” Barber says, his voice carrying easily over the packed field. “Bowing down is not an option,” he says, his cadence rising with each phrase. “Standing up, speaking the truth and voting like never before is required now.”
Barber, co-chair of the national Poor People’s Campaign, pauses, scanning the crowd. “Together we can move mountains. We ain’t going nowhere,” he says, his voice booming across the park, drawing the loudest applause of the afternoon.
People raise their flags and fists, and a woman in a floppy straw hat wipes tears from under her sunglasses. Nearby, a sign flaps in the breeze: “Love thy neighbor.” On stage, a small group sings “This Land Is Your Land” in shaky harmony as thousands pour down Foster Street towards West Main Street, Morris Street and Rigsbee Avenue.
The crowd stretches from Durham Central Park all the way past Brightleaf Square, filling the streets and spilling onto the sidewalks as far as the eye can see. From curb to curb, the crowd is a sea of color, flags fluttering amid signs as drums keep a heartbeat rhythm and parents push strollers alongside retirees. Organizers and attendees note the turnout surpasses the June protest, which drew an estimated 5,000 people.
Durham resident Dawne Lucas, wears a green a Statue of Liberty costume and waves a cardboard torch. “They call us anti-American,” Lucas says. “We’re not anti-American. We’re here because we want to defend what America stands for.”
The marchers’ handmade signs are a gallery of urgency: “Protect Democracy,” “Dump Trump,” “Heart-Centered Action Creates Positive Change.” Members of the Union of Southern Service Workers, Amazon Labor Union, UE150 and the North Carolina AFL-CIO march together near the front, chanting “Who’s the revolution? We’re the revolution!”
Amid the noise, some voices carry clear notes of worry. Ginny Brooks, standing near the edge of the crowd with her husband Tom, says she is most concerned about the high health premiums people who rely on the Affordable Care Act will face unless Congress acts. Federal tax credits that support lower premiums are set to expire at the end of the year.
“It’s going to be devastating for our country,” she says. “A lot of people can’t get health insurance through their jobs, and the Affordable Care Act made it possible for them to stay healthy. To have Congress say, ‘We’ll talk about it later’ — no, we need to talk about it now.”
Tom nods beside her. “It’s about fairness,” he adds. “We have the right to protest. The Constitution is being chipped away, and we have to use our voices while we can.”
Courtney Yribarren, a senior at Duke University, says it is the largest protest she has ever seen. “It’s inspiring,” she says. “There’s this energy where people on the left are reclaiming what it means to be American. We’re waving flags again. We’re taking ownership of that symbol.” Yribarren’s camera battery dies halfway through the march, but she keeps recording on her phone. “It feels too important to miss,” she says.
Not every group looks the same. Toward the edge of the park, a man in a white T-shirt marked “RCA” — for the Revolutionary Communists of America — hands out newspapers and pamphlets. “We’re anti-Trump and anti-Democrat,” says Stephen Whelan, the local press officer. “The real king is the bourgeoisie. The wealthy control both parties. It’s the working class that needs to seize power.”
As the march turns onto West Geer Street, chants ricochet off brick warehouses and new apartment blocks: “Whose country? Our country! Whose city? Bull City!” The mix of voices — students, union workers, veterans, clergy — blends into a single roar. Some hold signs supporting immigrant rights and Palestinian civilians. Others call for defending libraries, protecting science funding or extending Medicaid.
As the protesters step onto West Main, two children — a boy in a green baseball cap and a girl in a blue one — chant, “Tell me what democracy looks like,” Fellow marchers respond. “This is what democracy looks like!” A man nearby turns to another marcher, smiling. “Wow,” he says. “Two kids started the chant. This is amazing.”
The crowd breaks into a chant one last time — “Forward together, not one step back!” — and then begins to scatter as families head toward parked cars. As the sound of footsteps fades down Rigsbee Avenue, organizers stack signs against a fence awaiting the next call to gather, and Durham Central Park settles back into an ordinary fall evening.
Pictured above: Thousands filled the streets near Durham Central Park Saturday for the No Kings Day protest. Photos by Jack Regan — The 9th Street Journal
