‘Our Voices Heard’: No Kings rally takes over Wilmette Village Green

Community members en masse united on Wilmette’s Village Hall Green Saturday morning to rally against President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions.

The gathering of approximately 500 was one of nearly 3,000 No Kings protests nationwide on Oct. 18, when concerned citizens also gathered in nearby Evanston (thousands in Fountain Square, the Evanston Roundtable reported); Highland Park (officials estimate a crowd of 2,500 near City Hall); and at several locations in Chicago.

Lauren Engelhard, a 27-year-old who grew up in Wilmette, came up from Chicago with Muhammed Patel, 28, to join family and friends at the Wilmette rally.

Engelhard is a mental-health professional who said she’s listened firsthand to the fear many individuals — especially those in the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities — feel for their emotional and physical safety amid the current political landscape, including the local immigration crackdown.

“I think it’s important that we have a government that is supportive of the people in the country,” she said. “(Muhammed and I) talk regularly about how dissatisfied we are and how scary things are right now, so we wanted to make our voices heard and stand up in the community.”

Patel praised the large turnout in Wilmette, saying it is a sign of communities sticking up for each other.

“ICE and the national guard are not really coming to Wilmette, but you see all these people here showing up for people in their city and greater region for a reason,” he said, “because even if it doesn’t affect us directly in the sense of ICE knocking down our doors it does affect us directly in terms of the fear our friends and family feel.”

Wilmette’s Village Green is also the setting for a weekly Saturday protest of the direction of the country, as detailed in previous Record reporting.

Carter Cleland has become the event’s organizer and played a prominent role in developing Wilmette’s No Kings program, which included five speakers, including New Trier Democrats leader Patrick Hanley, congressional candidate Bushra Amiwala and Glencoe’s Congregation Hakafa Rabbi Bruce Elder.

Participants overwhelmed the Village Hall Green’s lawn, spilling over the sidewalk and onto Wilmette and Central avenues. Yellow-vested volunteers worked to keep the overflow away from traffic. Cars and delivery trucks constantly sounded their horns in solidarity, interrupting the program to the delight of protesters.

Cleland said the hundreds of attendees are evidence of a growing movement of people willing to take a stand against Trump’s administration.

“People are recognizing that staying at home and doom scrolling is not the way to go,” he said, “and they are saying that they are frustrated, annoyed and pissed off at the government for trying to take our rights away and ruin America’s standing in the world as a beacon of hope and freedom.

“It’s really recognition among people that this is a movement, and we are the people who are going to make it happen.”

Hundreds of signs were part of the gathering. “No Kings,” or a similar protest to authoritarian policies and behavior, was the most common phrase, but there was also no shortage of original expression.

One sign read, “So bad even introverts are here.” Another: “Too many horrors for one sign.” Some were dressed in inflatable animal costumes — a growing trend at anti-Trump protests. A woman was in an outfit featured in the dystopian drama “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Winnetka’s Craig Witty wore a tuxedo complete with a black top hat. He carried a sign that said, “Not My G.O.P.”

“We think of the GOP as the Grand Ole Party, but it’s not the party it used to be,” he said. “The party of Lincoln; well not anymore in my opinion. If you’re going to say that, then live up to the principles that (Lincoln) identified.

Witty added, “People have to remember that democracy only works if you put a lot of work into it. It’s hard work. You have to be self disciplined and have to follow the best principles that were laid out by the Constitution.”

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