CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — There was a large turnout at the No Kings rallies in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach Saturday.
Signing more executive orders in the first 100 days than any predecessor, protesters lining the streets told 10 On Your Side they think President Donald Trump is ruling like a king. Their concerns mainly revolved around healthcare, immigration enforcement practices and cuts to federal programs and jobs.
“Stellar employees lost their jobs and they have no way now to pay their mortgages,” Dona Menendez told 10 On Your Side at the rally in Chesapeake.
“We’re living in a banana republic,” Cristan Connito said while wearing a banana costume. “We’ve already fought wars against fascism, we have fought wars against kings.”
Helen Dergenski was seen handing out frog stickers to protestors. “Frogs have become a symbol of demonstration and peace in Portland, Oregon, where the city is not on fire,” she said.
The symbolic show of animal costumes was just as prominent at the Town Center No Kings rally in Virginia Beach.
“How can we be labeled as terrorists or leftists that are just angry and trying to start violence, when really we’re just trying to fight for our freedom and for our rights,” an anonymous protestor told us while wearing a unicorn costume.
Throughout Town Center, many chanted to the tune of live music — echoing the messages heard in Chesapeake and across the nation.
“I really don’t care what’s Democrat, what’s Republican,” said Chris Gordon, a Vietnam Veteran. “We need to get rid of somebody who hates our country, and Donald Trump hates our country.”
“My daughter, she lost her job,” Rick Forrest said. “She was working with the government, and she lost her job. That really upset me.”
At both protests, counter-protesters in a small Trump parade repeatedly drove by. One truck was towing a Trump-branded boat with a large crown affixed to the bow. One woman got out of an orange truck behind it, shouting at protesters. This interaction was later broken up by police.
Safety is a big priority for the volunteers in charge of these local rallies.
“All of our marshals are called peacekeepers,” explained Pete Woodhead, an organizer of the Virginia Beach No Kings rally. “They are here to keep everybody safe, keep them out of the streets, keep them on the sidewalks. We have medical personnel…”
“With our vests on, and our lanyards and our radios, we’re talking to each other constantly,” said Louis Lewes with South Hampton Roads Indivisible. “We’re looking for people that are questionable that might be casing, standing in places we really don’t know what they’re there for.”
Leaders of these rallies estimate a higher turnout than their June equivalents.
WAVY reached out to Virginia Beach Police about the rally in Town Center, after hearing officers had to ask some protesters to disperse. A police spokesperson provided this statement:
“The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) coordinated with organizers of the “No Kings” rally for the duration of the event. During the portion at the Town Center fountain, we received complaints from some of the local business about rally attendees taking over private property and failing to leave when requested. VBPD staff coordinated with the event organizer to have the event move to their secondary rally point at Independence and Virginia Beach Boulevard to help address the trespassing complaints we were receiving.
VBPD monitored the crowd movement and subsequent rally at their new location until after the expiration of the permit with no issues.”
Sgt. Jude Brenya