BULLHEAD CITY — Nearly 250 protesters gathered on the corner of Highway 95 and Marina Blvd. for the Bullhead City No Kings protest on Saturday. The protests were part of a nationwide day of protest that drew an estimated five million people, according to organizers.
Attendees protested a wide range of topics, including the Trump administration’s handling of immigration enforcement, cuts to healthcare and veterans’ services, assaults on free speech, and the deployment of the national guard in California. The date coincided with a planned military parade by the President Trump in Washington D.C., which drew an estimated 10,000 people.
Veterans services was a key issue for Ken Petersen, who is part of the leadership team of the Bullhead City chapter of Indivisible, which organized the No Kings event in Bullhead as well as a similar event on June 6th.
“That’s an important issue to me,” he said. “I am a veteran. They’re already afraid of closing some of the veterans’ places here for healthcare. In Havasu, they just moved into a brand new facility—they’re a little concerned they might close.”
One protester was present because of her faith, holding a sign written in Spanish that translates to: “Only one king—Jesus.” Her husband was born in Mexico and fought in the army, but she does not like many of the changes happening in the country. “There’s no need for violence, we all came from the same creator,” she said.
The event remained peaceful despite the presence of at least two dozen counter protesters, which gathered on the southeast corner of the intersection in front of the Taco Bell. Some counter-protesters walked through the No Kings protest with their own signs and banners, but there was no escalation from this.
“I was taught ‘liberty and justice for all’ as a little girl and now I’m seeing people being torn from their families,” said Lisa, a protester attending with her family. “Everyone that’s flipping us off and saying these terrible things to us as they drive by—I just blow them a kiss and say ‘I love you and I hope you have a good day.’”
The No Kings protests were organized in part by a wide range of partnerships, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Move On, 50501, and many others. The event started at 8 a.m. and ended promply at 10 a.m. Police was present throughout the event, but there were no incidents.
Alan Hayman
