A crowd estimated by Capitol police at more than 10,000 gathered peacefully on the Capitol’s south lawn Saturday as part of the national
No Kings demonstrations
, a movement opposing what organizers describe as the rise of authoritarianism, political violence in the United States, and the recent
deployment
of National Guard troops and Marines to California.
Demonstrators filled the Capitol lawn with hand-painted signs and chants of “No Kings,” “This is What Democracy Looks Like” and “When we fight, we win.”
Connecticut’s rally was one of more than 2,000 demonstrations held across all 50 states and 17 countries organized in part by the
50501 Movement
and the organization
Indivisible
. Hartford’[s rally was one of about 30 in cities and towns in Connecticut. The events were scheduled to coincide with President Donald Trump’s military parade in celebration of his 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
“I pledged allegiance to a republic … where supreme power is held by the people. For all. Not the one percent. For us. For we,” said Manchester Poet Laureate Nadia Sims.
Sims was the opening speaker at the event, which also included remarks from various lawmakers, activists and community leaders.
U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, spoke on the country’s founding principles while denouncing recent Supreme Court decisions.
“Just last Friday, the Supreme Court overturned two lower court rulings and allowed DOGE to access Social Security data,” he said. “They have no statutory authority. These so-called ‘volunteers’ have no business looking at anyone’s personal records.”
U. S. Sen.Richard Blumenthal urged the crowd to remain vigilant in defending democracy.
“And here’s a message to Donald Trump,” he said. “This is what America looks like. Right here in Connecticut. This is what democracy looks like.”
With Gov. Ned Lamont in Paris
accompanying a delegation on a business recruitment mission
, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz led the crowd in a moment of silence for Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were
shot and killed Saturday morning in what officials have called a politically motivated attack
. Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also critically wounded in a similar incident.
“This was an unspeakable tragedy, and a warning,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong in a statement. “The better angels of our nation must and will prevail through this perilous anger and chaos.”
Stephanie Keegan, a Gold Star mother, shared the
story of her son
, Sgt. Daniel Robert Keegan, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 7th Special Forces Group. After returning from Afghanistan, he waited more than a year for a disability rating and 16 months for care at a VA facility located just 2.5 miles from his home.
“We buried our boy on Mother’s Day in 2016,” she said. “He died just days before he was finally scheduled to receive care. And now, Trump wants soldiers to march for his birthday while gutting the VA. We don’t want a parade. We want care.”
Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream, who was born in Guyana, underscored the human toll of the administration’s immigration crackdown, citing a
recent case in Meriden
.
“Kevin missed his graduation because ICE detained him and flew him to Texas,” she said. “Is that justice? No governmental agency is above the law.”
The rally also spotlighted concerns about the erosion of public institutions, history, and the arts. Playwright Jacques Lamarre, a former staffer at the Mark Twain House and Museum, warned that what appear to be budget cuts may also serve ideological purposes.
“They’re dismantling the
National Endowment for the Arts
, slashing libraries, rewriting history,” Lamarre said. “One of the first acts of this administration was to take over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. But we are the firewall. We are the story. And we will be heard.”
Across the state, the demonstrations reportedly remained calm, with the lone reported disruption in Waterbury, where a man with a megaphone briefly interrupted remarks by state Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury.
Capitol police reported no arrests, injuries or significant incidents from the rally. Sergeant Michael Bermudez commended organizers and attendees in a statement, saying the event “reflected the highest standards of civic engagement” and stating that the “professionalism and cooperation displayed by all involved contributed to a successful and meaningful day of peaceful expression.”
Scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., the rally is expected to include a series of speakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. John Larson, Manchester Poet Laureate Nadia Sims and more.
Hundreds of events are planned across the country – about a dozen so far in Connecticut – for President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 to protest what organizers call “increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption” from the president and his allies.
HARTFORD, CT — Capitol police arrested 10 education advocates Wednesday following a rally and staged sit-in outside Gov. Ned Lamont’s Capitol office.
