Nearly 400 Come Out in Cambridge for ‘No Kings’ Rally

For two hours Saturday afternoon, national politics intersected with the flow of traffic as nearly 400 people, old and young, a dozen-odd dogs, and a bevy of costumed characters held placards and chanted slogans as part of the network of the more than 2,700 “No Kings” rallies that took place across all 50 states.

Notwithstanding a somewhat ineffectual counter-protest of three trucks decked out with MAGA branding circling around the second such rally since June, the afternoon was overwhelmingly positive. The noise of the crowd mixed with the honking horns of passing vehicles.

The event was hosted by Cambridge Indivisible, a volunteer-led nonpartisan community organization that “advocates for justice and freedom,” according to its website.  While organizer Michelle Fowle managed proceedings with the help of a large bullhorn, her husband Andy spun a well-selected playlist of latter-day protest songs including the likes of Public Enemy and the Sex Pistols, and staffed the group’s registration kiosk seeking to grow its 1,500-person membership.  

“People are pumped, they want to do things,” Michelle Fowle told The Spy. We don’t do kings in America. This protest is the most American thing you can do. This regime is trying to consolidate power to oppress people, and we won’t have it.  We’re holding strong.” 

Sabrina Barger-Turner, whose local nonprofit is a member of the Anti-Hunger Alliance, said upcoming cuts in social safety net programs inspired her to take to the streets on behalf of her constituents.  

“Because of cuts to SNAP assistance benefits, food pantries are overwhelmed and the shelves are empty,” she said.  “They not only impact direct benefits, but also critical federal employees. At agencies like HUD [Housing and Urban Development], a lot of employees responsible for overseeing discrimination in housing policy have been fired.”  

For Rich Levy of Cambridge, the issue is as fundamental as democracy itself.  “It’s vanishing,” he said. “Too much control is being handed over to the billionaires.  Our enemies aren’t really right-wing voters, but billionaires who manipulate people to do what they want. While we fight with each other, they rob us blind.”

Gina, dressed in a Handmaiden’s Tale outfit with her face hidden behind a mask, spoke to The Spy but didn’t want to give her last name.  She said immigration policy was the most alarming aspect, among others, of the sitting federal government.  “There is no due process these days,” she said.  “It’s not criminals they are taking like they said, but hard-working taxpayers making meaningful contributions to society.”   

Some participants said that getting people to come out was as important as making a clever sign or donning a costume. Steve Levin, of Cambridge, said he worked his network all week to ensure maximum participation.  “I’ve been telling everyone I know to get a little courage,” he said. “And as a result, a lot of people who have never done anything like this before are out here today.  It’s helped.  The turnout is great.” 

Mark Elliott took a local angle sporting a “Flip the first” t-shirt, referring to the Eastern Shore’s congressional district held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris for the last 14 years.  “I don’t think Harris does much for us on the Shore,” Elliott said.  “He just toes the MAGA line.  And the irony is, the new tariffs are hurting the local soybean farmers more than ever.  He’s got no respect for the people he represents.  The district is gerrymandered.”   

When it was all over, Fowle said she was proud of her town. “Cambridge has a long history of rising for justice,” she said.  “Yesterday, we carried that legacy forward.  From Harriet Tubman to Gloria Richardson, our town has always known that freedom takes visibility and courage.”