WILMINGTON — The call and response of “Show me what democracy looks like! — This is what democracy looks like!” could be heard up and down Third Street and surrounding areas of downtown Wilmington, as thousands of protestors from the Cape Fear area gathered for the second coming of the No Kings rally over the weekend.
READ MORE: Cape Fear joins ‘No Kings’ protests, one counter-protester brandishes weapon
People were protesting President Donald Trump’s policies and administration as part of No Kings 2.0, a movement involving 2,600 protests taking place in cities across the United States and in other countries on Saturday, Oct. 18. It’s projected 7 million attended, surpassing 5 million reported from the No Kings first demonstrations held worldwide in June.
As previously reported by Port City Daily, 5,000 attended in support during the Wilmington summer rallies. According to organizers, Saturday’s event had upward of 7,000 people come through; however, Wilmington Police Department is reporting around 2,000 people.
Among the 30 or so rallies held in North Carolina, the Shallotte event expected to bring in 2,500 to 3,000 people, while Surf City was estimated between 350 and 400 protestors.
Despite Wilmington’s large crowd, the WPD confirmed it was peaceful.
“There were a few medical-related calls but no law enforcement issues,” Lt. Greg Willett told Port City Daily.
Wilmington police lined Third Street to ensure pedestrian and protestor safety and direct traffic as needed.
The biggest message on display was to stand up against what protestors perceive as the current administration’s proclivity for dictatorship — going hand-in-hand with the movement’s motto: “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.”
“We have to mobilize people on both sides of the aisle in order to stop authoritarianism,” Lynn Shoemaker said.
A founding member of Women Organizing for Wilmington, Shoemaker was among many coordinators of the event. She said the goal was to welcome Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters alike.
“When you start talking political parties, it becomes divisive,” Shoemaker said.
Sam Pierce, leader of Indivisible Action of Southeast North Carolina, agreed: “I don’t like to talk about parties — because then you’re talking about parties, not talking about issues.”
In addition to WOW and Indivisible Action: SENC, other collaborators that helped with the event included the New Hanover National Black Leadership Caucus, SENC Central Labor Council, and SENC Women Forward, ILM Action Network, Immigrant Allies Forum, N.C. State AFL-CIO, and Brunswick Voices 4 Democracy. Indivisible Wilmington, Brunswick Indivisible Stepping Forward for Action, and Indivisible Defenders of Democracy all aided and participated in organizing the marches that day.
Wilmington’s rally had a central homebase at Thalian Hall’s Innes Park. However, people marched down Third Street from three launch locations — the 1898 Memorial Park, Castle Street, and the Alton Lennon Federal Building & Courthouse — bobbing signs of “America has no kings,” “This is not a ‘hate America’ rally,” and “True patriots save our democracy.” Many donned costumes, such as chickens, sharks, Elvis (“the real King”), and caricatures of the president.
Also making an appearance were the famed Frogs of Resistance, popularized after a Portland, Oregon, ICE protest, in which a federal agent pepper-sprayed a protester directly in the air vent of their frog costume. Since then, the frog has become a symbol of resistance, popping up in No Kings rallies countrywide and even in France.
“But this is peaceful,” Shoemaker emphasized, noting “peace monitors” circulated and posted at different areas to help with de-escalation needs, if necessary. “We get little rumblings every once in a while of threats, but it seems to be a lot of hot air.”
While no counter-protestors were immediately visible, honking cars zoomed by, some with passengers also holding signs or even flipping the bird — though whether it was meant for protestors or against the current administration is unknown. Demonstrators chanted “USA” as 15 speakers — all Democratic candidates or current elected officials — addressed crowds.
Mayoral Candidate Jonathan Barfield Jr., former county commissioner, gave the invocation and Wilmington council member Salette Andrews, who recently announced she would run for a county commissioner seat in 2026, focused on defending the Constitution and the choice to not be complicit or complacent in the face of injustice.
“We have a president who issues executive orders and actions targeting American cities — threatening to withhold federal funds, expanding federal control over local law enforcement, even deploying or authorizing National Guard under the guise of restoring order,” Andrews, who also served in the Air Force as an air traffic control officer, said.
In recent months, Trump sent the National Guard to several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Memphis to reportedly combat crime and protests — without being asked, nor garnering approval from the state governors. The president is also seeking approval from the Supreme Court to allow the National Guard into Chicago because he declared it the “Murder Capitol of the World.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded Oct. 4 that the president’s actions were “outrageous and un-American” and against the will of officials and constituents. He added the move was about control rather than combatting crime.
Military veteran Aaron Williams, who served in the U.S. Army for 19 years and marched Saturday, expressed discontent over the military’s deployment into U.S. cities as well.
“Our military is supposed to be an apolitical organization,” he said. “The National Guard’s supposed to be an emergency type of support, in the event of national disasters — or even if there’s out-of-control riots. You can call in the National Guard to help support, if needed — but nothing out of control has been going on.”
Kimberly Hardy, running for Congress in 2026 against Rep. David Rouzer (R), spoke to the government shutdown making life difficult for people. Though, she also supported the Democrats’ move to not vote for the current government funding bill, which initiated the shutdown. Hardy believes the fight for healthcare to remain affordable is most important, as Obamacare subsidies that give qualifying beneficiaries a discount on their premiums is approaching its end at the new year, unless extended permanently or temporarily by Congress.
“They don’t want us to have healthcare we can actually afford, while our taxpayer dollars take care of their healthcare,” Hardy said. “That is ridiculous and unconscionable.”
Mary Austin Smith, another protester and lifelong Democrat, said it was important for her to attend the rally to implore politicians to step up and do their jobs.
“Congress is a bunch of chickens. They have no courage,” she said.
Smith also was worried over voting rights and how many Americans will still be able to cast ballots in upcoming elections unless more people speak out.
“It could end because he [Trump] has the Supreme Court on his side,” Smith said. “They’re not helping us.”
The administration and Supreme Court, most recently, are considering removing section 2 of the Voting Rights Act — originally passed in 1965 during the civil rights era. This section made drawing voting maps to cut out minorities illegal. The Supreme Court will hear arguments against the section to decide whether there is a need for race-conscious remedies anymore. A decision is expected to be made in 2026 on the matter.
The president also passed the SAVE Act as a part of executive orders he signed back in January. It requires those registering to vote to bring proof of citizenship to the polls, would upend online registration, and make mail-in registration impossible. Proof of citizenship could come from a passport or a birth certificate, but 146 million Americans do not have a passport. More so, 84% of women who get married change their name, meaning their last name on their birth certificate is not the same as their current surname.
Democratic candidate Hardy also expressed concern over voting, particularly calling out recent plans from North Carolina Republicans to redraw the state’s Congressional districts, in order to secure seats in the House of Representatives during midterms next year. This comes as part of a nationwide push from Trump who suggested state Republicans redraw their districts to maintain control in Congress; currently, they only have a slim majority in the House: 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
“Don’t let people tell you that because a line on a piece of paper was drawn that that line keeps us from winning this seat,” Hardy said. “It does not.”
She pointed to an enlarged cutout of Rouzer’s face.
“That is the closest most of you have ever gotten to David Rouzer,” Hardy quipped, alluding to complaints that Rouzer doesn’t attend candidate forums or town halls with constituents. “And it is not likely to get much better between now and next November.”
In between politicians speaking, musicians like Justin Heter Pan of Dubtown Cosmonauts performed, artists painted and there was a spoken performance by Speak Ya Peace NC’s co-founder, Robert Bellamy, or ScaleHamHawk da Poet, titled “Criminals Run the System”.
“The world is out of balance, and imbalance breeds disease,” Bellamy said. “They pretend they want Americans standing, but they want the Americans on their knees. Poverty exists, not from life, but from corporations, hate, and greedy men.”
As protestors walked by with signs noting “Healthcare Over Wealthcare,” Sonya Bennetone-Patrick, chair of the New Hanover chapter of the National Black Leadership Caucus, called upon local legislators to act. She wanted to see liveable wages — North Carolina’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour — and spoke about the unhoused in New Hanover County, particularly recent ordinances prohibiting people from overnight sleeping and camping on city property.
“The only thing the homeless has is their Constitutional right and [officials] want to threaten that,” Bennetone-Patrick said.
Attendee Arrian Snowteen was concerned about cutting “safety net programs” that help underserved Americans. This includes Medicaid, set to have its funding slashed in 2026, with new requirements also being put in place to decrease the volume of coverage. In December 2026, the federal government will start mandating that capable adults have to be employed to receive Medicaid and they are redefining “qualified” immigrants for eligibility.
“It’s like they’re putting us further back instead of making us try to get ahead as a country,” Snowteen said.
Many rally participants conceded to overwhelming fatigue of merely sitting by without action while loved ones and neighbors take a loss. Bob and Cammi Brady are among the demographic.
“We don’t know what to do, but this is the best thing we can do,” Bob Brady said. “Hopefully, our senators and our congressmen hear [our voices].”
Protestor Cristin Dadant said she wanted to join Saturday’s rally because she could no longer stay silent while federal programs are cut and human rights are affected: “They’re getting rid of women’s rights. They’re canceling DEI.”
She gestured to her sign: “Stop pretending your bigotry is patriotism or Christianity.”
“It isn’t Christian,” Dadant said.
Veteran protestor Williams said he has experienced first-hand cuts in Veterans Affairs. Veterans programs, particularly with hiring, training and listening sessions, have been a component of federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Also, at the end of 2025, over 30,000 personnel are expected to be cut, with the possibility for more, which could affect services and outreach.
At the local VA pharmacy, Williams said he has noticed longer wait times due to fewer hands working, though was told it was a “restructure.” Even further, he has stopped going there for healthcare, aside from using the pharmacy, and now depends on community care provided by Novant, with expenses covered by the VA.
“Doctors, therapists, admin personnel — they’re letting all of them go,” Williams said.
Trump responded Saturday to the nationwide events on Truth Social with an A.I-generated video of himself flying a jet with “King Trump” plastered on the side, dumping a brown substance on protestors.
On X, the official White House account posted a photo of the president and vice president wearing crowns in a Renaissance-style portrait, with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) wearing sombreros on the bottom half of the photo.
The state GOP also responded to the protests Saturday: “Far-left radical Democrats shut down the federal government to brag at these events they shut down the government to stop President Trump,” spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a statement. “These manufactured events do nothing but highlight how out of touch the radical left is with the American people and here in North Carolina, thousands of voters every month reject being labeled a Democrat.”
Additional reporting was provided by Shea Carver at Port City Daily.
[Ed. note: The piece was updated after press to reflect additional organizers of the varied marches across southeastern North Carolina.]
Have tips or suggestions for Emily Sawaked? Email emily@localdailymedia.com
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