“Fascism is not hot!” and “Hate will not make us great” were some of the messages promoted by No Kings protestors in Rexburg Saturday. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com REXBURG – The mood was high at Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in Rexburg, one of thousands of events held throughout the country to speak out against what protesters view as an overreach of power from the Trump administration. In Rexburg, protesters lined Second West, along the east side of Porter Park, waving flags and signs as passing motorists honked and waved in support – mostly. Participants reported seeing a few middle fingers, as well. RELATED | Around 1,200 demonstrators participate in Idaho Falls ‘No Kings’ protest Organizers estimated that approximately 200 people showed up for the event that was officially a protest, but felt a lot like a party. There was lots of cheering, smiling, and generally positive vibes as upbeat music played from the organizers’ table where they were giving out free hot chocolate and apple cider. Organizers invited protesters to register to vote and to add their signatures to a petition aiming to get an initiative promoting reproductive freedom on Idaho ballots in 2026. “We see things happening in the government that are unilateral,” said Madison County Democrats Chairperson Marsha Craner. “Trump is making unilateral decisions and Congress isn’t even holding him accountable. He’s not listening. Our representatives aren’t listening to us. And so we just feel like we need to make our voices heard.” The overwhelming consensus among protestors who spoke with EastIdahoNews.com, and the issue that was shared the most as the reason for their participation, was the opinion that President Donald Trump had overstepped his authority by mobilizing ICE agents to manage immigration throughout the country. Morgan Craner of Rexburg takes a turn holding down the fort at the No Kings organizers’ table, where protesters could add their name to a petition to get a reproductive freedom initiative on Idaho ballots in 2026. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com “People who are wearing masks and no badges, no identification, are kidnapping people off the street,” Craner said. “They’re not giving people their due process. They’re not allowing people to go to the courts. People are acting like deportations have never happened before. They’ve been happening all along, just in a legal way. And what’s happening now is illegal.” Saturday’s protest attracted locals and transplants alike, with a wide variety of ages being represented as well. David Kynoch from St. Anthony, who is currently attending Idaho State University in Pocatello, was home for the weekend and excited to join the protest. GALLERY: Pocatello joins nationwide protests declaring ‘No Kings’ in America for a second time “I personally feel like Donald Trump is taking our country down a very dark route that could lead to a lot of awful things that could happen in this country,” Kynoch said. “It’s very important for anybody who has any ounce of dislike or apprehension in his doings and in his presidency that they should be outspoken about those things.” Lydia Lake is a recent Madison High School graduate who has been interested in politics since she was about 14, she said. “I’m out here today because I’m tired of listening to the news and feeling a sense of dread every time I do it,” Lake said. “A government is supposed to be supporting the people and using the documents that founded the government to show their support rather than fight against the people.” Organizers estimate that about 200 people came out for No Kings in Rexburg Saturday. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com Lake criticized the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard against opposition in Democrat-run cities. “I think we can see that that’s such a weaponization of the government in a way that it’s not supposed to be,” Lake said. “And a lot of deportations that are going on – they’re not going ethically. They’re not due process and that’s illegal. If people are not here legally, we can take steps to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we should never break human rights to take those steps, because that defeats the purpose of the United States.” Benjamin Pacini shared many of the same concerns as other protestors and said he attended to advocate for uprightness in politics in general. “When our politics turn sour, you tend not to see it until it’s already too late,” Pacini said. “And when the warning signs creep up, it’s time to start going, ‘This could turn really, really bad.’ … This administration has uniquely weaponized the (immigration) issue, and it has weaponized it against actual immigrants, including in some cases, legal immigrants … I look at those people as my brothers and sisters. I can’t get on board with that, and I am actually concerned about due process and about the weaponization of ICE, for example.” Protest organizer Bekah Tiberend said she was pleased with Saturday’s turnout, which was significantly more than the number of participants that showed up for round one of No Kings in June, when she estimated there were 50-60 protestors present. She said gathering people together was important to her to join with the national movement to send the Trump administration a message, but also to build community locally. “Everything was just amazing and it was so cool to gather with likeminded people and to not be alone in an area that can be pretty isolating if you’re not in the majority party, and just have a good time,” Timberland said. “We had great music and happy people. We shared food and hot chocolate and cider and it was just a great time. I’m really happy with how it turned out.” Tiberend said there were a handful of peaceful counterprotestors and other observers, but that the overall mood stayed respectful from all sides throughout the event. Laura and Benjamin Pacini turned out for the No Kings protest in Rexburg to take a stand for due process. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com Jeffrey Wells, a BYU-Idaho student from Castle Rock, Colorado, was one of those observers. He said that while he is generally right-leaning and supportive of President Trump, he came out to the protest to engage in some good conversations. He lamented the political violence that has taken place on both sides of the political aisle in recent months. “But these people aren’t being violent,” Wells said. “They’re being kind. I think that’s how it is in Rexburg, honestly. I’m grateful that these people have been generally nice to one another and nice to me, as well. I think that’s how people should be when they protest.” Craner said one of her personal goals was to bring people together in a spirit of camaraderie, where people on both sides of the political aisle can work out their differences respectfully. “I just want people to remember that we are a country of two parties,” Craner said. “Right now, people act like only one party can rule, and the other party should just lay down and be quiet. I think if we would get back to talking to each other–reaching across the aisle. I mean, right now, people are saying, ‘We shouldn’t even talk to them.’ It’s just so much fighting. People are tired of that.” No Kings protesters lined the east side of Porter Park in Rexburg Saturday as motorists honked and waved (mostly) in support. | Emily Miller, EastIdahoNews.com The post Hundreds gather for high-energy ‘No Kings’ protest in Rexburg appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com