‘No Kings’ Events Crisscross W.Va.

A dozen “No Kings” protests happened across the state Saturday bringing out thousands of people from all age groups. The national movement, named in response to what organizers call authoritarian overreach by President Donal Trump’s administration, has been led by a coalition of more than 100 organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers, the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign.

Signs mentioned everything from concerns about Medicare and Medicaid to ICE and deportations of immigrants and funding for public broadcasting. 

In Charleston, people were still streaming in at 1 p.m. to participate. All ages were represented, but a large contingent of older West Virginians braved the sun and humidity to attend. 

There was no violence there, but there was a heavy police presence on the periphery including up to five City of Charleston police cars parked in front of the governor’s mansion and a West Virginia State Police SUV parked inside the gate.

Cars streamed down the boulevard honking their horns and giving a thumbs up out the window at protesters who lined the road with signs and cheering with every honk.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey said via social media Friday afternoon that he was readying state police and the National Guard to respond to any violence.

“I support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly, but West Virginia will uphold law and order,” Morrisey said. “We will not tolerate looting, destruction, vandalism, or any violence toward law enforcement.”

In Morgantown, hundreds lined the busy intersection outside of West Virginia University’s Coliseum with signs in hand. As in Charleston, demonstrators were met with almost exclusively positive interactions in the form of honks and cheers from some of the cars driving by. The only visible police presence was a lone car, parked well away from the road in an adjoining parking lot in front of the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center.

Mindy Holcomb helped organize the local demonstration with grassroots organization Mountaineers Indivisible. She said the action is meant to show that the people of Morgantown are against the rise of authoritarianism.

“We feel like everyone, as stated in the Constitution, deserves due process. We’re seeing bills coming around that are going to strip people of their health care, of nutritional assistance, and it’s going to rip West Virginia apart,” Holcomb said. “These people are here today to say that we’re not going to stand for it. We demand better, we deserve better, and we’re going to keep fighting until we get better.”

Local business owner Scott Link showed up to the demonstration in a suit, red tie and crown over a mask resembling Pres. Donald Trump to make a statement. Holding a sign that read ‘Grifter, Loser Narcissist, Rapist, Felon, Despot’ he referred to himself as ‘Ronald Rump.’ Link said the Trump administration’s tariffs have made him delay his retirement to save up more money.

“What’s happened over the last four or five months? It’s scary,” he said. “I’m 67. When am I going to be able to retire and feel safe? God help Gen Z and the millennials and the younger generations. What are they going to have to put up with?”

Stephen Lowe is the pastor at the Morgantown Church of the Brethren, Sistren and Otheren. He said as a faith leader who believes in a strong separation between church and state, he felt compelled to come out to the demonstration.

“This administration has blatantly abused religion as a means of enforcing policies that I see as completely in opposition to what Jesus taught us to do, which is to take care of those who are marginalized, to work towards peace and to work through conflict in a way that considers all people in the conversation,” Lowe said. 

Lowe held a sign he said was fashioned after the Bible verse Matthew 25.

“It’s the parable of the sheep and goats. It’s a parable that Jesus gives where he talks about what you do to those who are the least of these, the poor, the marginalized, you’re doing to me,” he said. “When we do things that hurt the poor, like cutting SNAP benefits, cutting Medicaid and Medicare, hurting our elders and those who are just trying to make ends meet, we’re doing harm to the divine that is in each person.”

The Morgantown rally was scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and although many chose to stay well after that stated end time, most chose to leave soon after.