Protests against President Donald Trump’s administration were held across New Jersey on a rainy Saturday — part of nationwide “No Kings Day” demonstrations coinciding with the president’s 79th birthday and a large military parade in Washington, D.C.
In Montclair, hundreds of people holding umbrellas gathered to demonstrate. In a speech to the crowd, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the freshly minted Democratic nominee for governor, echoed the theme of the event: that Trump has been acting like a monarch.
“In 1776, we decided here in the United States to take a different path — to give up on monarchy, to make sure we had a democracy, to make sure we were fighting," Sherrill, a Montclair resident, said from the stage. “And here in New Jersey, we held the line. ... And that’s what we’re doing here today.”
“We are not going to accept a king here in New Jersey.”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who finished second to Sherrill in the Democratic gubernatorial primary this past week, also spoke.
“Donald Trump is not my president!” Baraka exclaimed.
People held up signs throughout the crowd. “Democracy, not autocracy,” one read. “Love trumps hate,” read another.
The Trump administration organized the $40 million military parade in D.C. to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. It’s also Flag Day.
Tanks and soldiers were scheduled to march along the streets of the nation’s capital, with military planes flying above.
Several dozen demonstrations in New Jersey — from Morristown and Bridgwater to Hamilton and Lambertville to Highland Park and Toms River — took place in the hours leading up to the parade.
The protests — spread throughout all 50 states — were organized by a coalition of advocacy organizations, progressive groups, and nonprofits. They’re held amid increased tensions over Trump’s use of the U.S. military in Los Angeles, where demonstrations against ICE raids in the city have been held for many days.
Rallies against ICE, the federal agency that enforces immigration laws, were also set for other large cities across the nation.
In Asbury Park, more than 100 protesters marched on Springwood Avenue chanting: “He’s no king.”
Giovanna Daniels, 30, of Ocean Township, said immigrants have been “the backbone of our country from the beginning.”
“Folks want to say ‘come the right way,’ but the fact is that there is no system in place that allows for that,” Daniels said. “So I’m here to support a pathway for citizenship.”
Jessamyn Zacatelco, 22, of Neptune City, said “it’s important for people to use their voice and stand on what they believe in.”
“I’m a first-generation Mexican American, and I see the strength and resilience of my community,” Zacatelco said. “I’m here to protect their right to live with dignity.”
People protest President Donald Trump in a "No Kings Day" rally in Asbury Park on Saturday.Deion Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Saturday’s protests began as a call to action by the 50501 Movement. This week, Trump suggested using “very heavy force” against those who protest during the military parade in Washington.
Asked his thoughts about the countrywide protests, Trump said he didn’t agree with the message.
“I don’t feel like a king,” he told reporters. “I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.”
The demonstrations come as Trump has helped propel the New Jersey governor’s race this year into the national spotlight. Trump endorsed Jack Ciattarelli, who won the Republican nomination during Tuesday’s primary elections. The now two-time Republican nominee for governor will face off in November’s general election against Sherrill, the Democratic nominee who has been critical of Trump.
In a social media post this past week, Ciattarelli painted Saturday’s demonstrations as “anti-law enforcement protests” and called on Gov. Phil Murphy, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin, and Sherrill to “condemn anything other than peaceful protests and allow law enforcement to do their jobs to ensure public safety.”
Platkin said in a statement that officials are “closely monitoring” several protests and events this weekend.
“The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but we must ensure that all events proceed safely and without disruption to public order,” he added.
Stories by Eric Conklin
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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