WINONA, Minn. – The citizen group Winona Indivisible has organized a second anti-Trump rally for Saturday at Windom Park. It’s one of 2,100 local rallies nationwide. Time: 12 p.m. Janice Turek, co-leader, invited protesters to bring enthusiasm and signs, posters, banners and flags Turek emphasized the importance of keeping the event peaceful. “If violent opportunists show up and get destructive, leave the area,” she said. “Stay calm. Stay peaceful. Stay strong.”
Plan: Keep peaceful
In May, also as part of protests nationwide, Winona Indivisible organized a local Hands Off rally against Trump overreaches of constitutional authority. The May rally brought 700 protesters to Windom Park. The event was peaceful. Intentionally neither Police Chief Tom Williams nor Sheriff Ron Ganrude assigned uniformed officers or patrols to the rally. No police presence was announced for the new No Kings Day event.
Steamboat Days weekend
The No Kings Day rally falls on the weekend of Winona’s 78th annual Steamboat Days community festival. There is no schedule overlap with Steamboat events except a car show eight blocks away on Third Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Steamboat kiddies parade is Friday, the grand parade Sunday
Invoking Prince. The implicit question: “What would the iconic Minnesota musician say about Trump.
“No Kings Day”
The rallies nationwide are symbolic opposition to President Trump’s monarchial ambitions, as evinced this week by what he calls his military occupation of Los Angeles. The grassroots No Kings Day rallying cry is not-so-subtle reference to George III, whose autocratic excesses sparked the American Revolution 1776 and led to the creation of the United States as an independent democratic republic. The No Kings Day rallies coincide with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which Trump has highjacked as a celebration of his own birthday, his 79th.
Map. Organizers from a loose national coalition of local citizen groups have rallies Saturday in 2,100 locations. There also are anti-Trump demonstrations the same day in European countries and also in Canada and Mexico.
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Earlier: Police: Winona “Hands Off” mega-rally peaceful