ROCHESTER, Minn. — Veteran legislator Tina Liebling confirmed she will be a speaker at the No Kings Day rally on Saturday at Soldiers Field in Rochester. Liebling, a Democrat, has been in the State House of Representatives from Rochester since 2005. The rally will be preceded by a march from downtown beginning at 12:20 p.m. Organizers didn’t predict the turnout but said there had been hundreds of RSVPs. Besides speakers, there will be music, food trucks and mingling of like-minded people displeased with President Trump. Nationally 2,600 No Kings Day events have been organized in 50 states — compared to 2,100 at the last previous demonstrations over the summer. In Washington the data journalist G. Elliott Morris projected total attendance nationwide at 4 to 6 million. That would be the largest protest in American history. Morris based his projection on data from 40% of the events. The largest Minnesota rally last time was estimated by the State Patrol at 25,000 outside the state Capitol.
This the fourth
Previous rallies in the anti-Trump series:
> April: Hands Off.
> June: No Kings Day.
> July: Good Trouble.
> October: No Kings 2.
Being contrary
Trump allies have dismissed the rallies as:
> “Hate America events.”
> “It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people.”
> “A bunch of kids being offensive.”
> “Just elderly white hippies.”
Regional roster
Besides Winona and Rochester, No Kings Day rallies have been organized in:
> Albert Lea: At New Denmark Park.
> Austin: At Fourth Avenue Northwest and 14th Street Northwest.
> Kenyon: At Cherry Grove Township.
> LaCrescent: At Highway 16 and South Third Street.
> Red Wing: Near Anderson Park.
> Rushford: At South Mill and East Jessie streets.
> St. Charles: At Highways 14 and Whitewater Avenue.
> Wabasha: At Pembroke Avenue and Hiawatha Drive.
> Zumbrota: Behind City Hall.
Rallies each has a local favor. In Wabasha it’s a potluck picnic.
Advice to rally participants
Organizers stress the rallies are intended to be peaceful and are constitutionally protected as free expression. Even so: Isolated violence has occurred in the past. Their advice to participants: De-escalate if challenged. Specific tips:
> Inform a friend not attending the protest of your location and your estimated check-in time. Arrange a backup plan in case you are unable to reach them.
> Stay with a group. If alone, find a friendly group to be with.
> If confronted by antagonists or authorities, you have the right to remain silent. You can refuse a search.
> Lock your phone with a strong PIN and disable biometric locks like Face ID.
> Use a disposable camera for photos. Carry a power bank to stay charged.
> Faced with agitators, stay calm. Do not engage. Avoid sudden movements. Step away from the situation. Alert a safety lead or event organizer.
> Avoid bringing a bag. Keep essential items in your pockets. Don’t bring anything that could be construed as a weapon.