‘We are losing our democracy’ – Protesters gather in Yorkville at No Kings Day protest

Several hundred community members lined downtown streets across from the Yorkville Town Square, urging passing vehicles to honk and cheer in solidarity during the No Kings Day protest in Yorkville on Saturday.

The Yorkville protest on June 14 was part of thousands of coordinated grassroots demonstrations across the nation, designed to “mobilize in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies,” according to the event organizers’ posting on mobilize.us.

The demonstrations coincided with a military parade held in Washington D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The military parade happened to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. The Army said the parade cost between an estimated $25 million and $45 million.

Several of the protesters in Yorkville called the military parade a hypocrisy considering the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or D.O.G.E., is making mass spending cuts across federal social programs, has frozen hiring and laid off tens of thousands of federal workers, and is threatening Medicare payments that would eliminate funding for several senior citizen services, like the Meals on Wheels program at the Beecher Center in Yorkville.

Marine veteran Jim Washburn, a Yorkville resident, said he felt it was his duty to show up to the demonstration to fight for the rights of others he fears are being threatened. Washburn carried his sign reading, “Support our MILITARY with BENEFITS not PARADES.”

“This is really for everybody, even the soldiers, because they serve to protect our freedoms, but Trump is here trying to take them away,” Washburn said. “He’s wasting millions and millions of dollars on his parade, and that money could be used to help out veterans that are returning from service, some that are missing legs and arms. These people are hurt and they need our help.”

Washburn said it was encouraging to see such a large turnout in Yorkville, especially seeing other local veterans making their voices heard.

“I’ve just been so fed up with Trump’s rules and what he’s doing in this country, we are losing our democracy,” Washburn said.

Liz Moreno dressed as the Statue of Liberty and waved to passing cars holding her sign reading, “give me your masses yearning to BREATHE FREE.”

Moreno said as a proud Latina she could not just sit at home while the rights of her fellow people were being infringed upon.

“In a country that’s always been full of immigrants, it’s not fair to demonize my people,” Moreno said. “We all contribute and we pay taxes, and Trump is out here spending millions of our dollars on throwing himself a parade just because he wants to fancy himself a dictator.”

With Republicans in charge of the White House, both chambers of Congress, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, Moreno said demonstrations like these do have the power to start to change the red tide.

“You can make a difference showing up where you’re from, where your neighbors live, and helping encourage people who maybe do not feel comfortable coming out yet, feel supported and heard,” Moreno said.

Across the street from the No Kings Day demonstrators, there was a small contingency of MAGA supporters. A man in a truck also drove by with a Trump sign.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood. D- Naperville. made a short appearance to talk with a couple attendees and to take a few photos.

After setting up the microphone for several community members to make their voices heard, Alicia Castillo, the event organizer, said it was incredibly inspiring to see such a diverse turnout in her hometown.

“In this community, you never really know what the real demographics are, it can often feel ‘redder’ (Republican) than it actually is,” Castillo said. “Energy like this helps the people of Yorkville truly see what the real ratio is. People are having fun, connecting, planning things for the future. There’s a whole community momentum being built right now.”

Castillo said while it’s easy to feel alone, there is strength in solidarity and togetherness.

“When we’re all together, we’re sending a unified message, we’re able to make our voices louder,” Castillo said. “This is a really diverse group of people who want to see freedom and rights for everybody. What’s been happening lately is not what we want our world to look like.”