Jose Rodriguez MCALLEN – The third set of “No Kings” protests in the valley took place on Saturday, within cities such as Harlingen and McAllen.
Baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z came out and showed their age doesn’t get in the way of exercising their first amendment right.
Organizations like the Carnalismo Brown Beret’s, Hidalgo County Democrats and the Young Democratic Socialist set up with signs and chants from 16th street all the way to Bicentennial Blvd on old U.S. Business 83 in McAllen to voice their disapproval of the Trump Administration.
Palm View resident Diana Van Middlesworth is a winter Texan from Indiana. She says she’s come out to other “No Kings” protests in Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana because she believes that she has to speak up wherever she’s at.
“I believe that a lot of the Republicans are drinking what I call the purple Kool-Aid of Jim Jones, because they want to be in power so badly that they’re willing to accept the choices that he’s making, that’s what upsets me.” said Van Middlesworth.
She went on to say that she doesn’t identify as a Republican or Democrat, she votes for who she believes will get the job done and doesn’t think that Donald Trump is the president to do so.
Similar in age group, Mission resident Robert Delair said “No Kings” is the cause that he believes in the most and that there is no sensible leadership in the United States government.
Delair is a Vietnam veteran who joined his fair share of protests including a few against the war in the Middle East.
Halfway throughout the “No Kings” protest, a few anti-protesters drove past the demonstrators with “Make America Great Again” flags while heckling people on the sidewalk.
Lynette Martinez is one of the many young protesters who said that it’s really important for everyone to speak up about what’s going on, in reference to the killings of Reneé Good and Alex Pretti.
“I think that we need to do right now what we want for our future, for our future generations. I’m here right now for my four year old daughter and I think that we need to speak up for our kids who can’t right now.”
Activism has been a part of Aziz Showery’s life as he organized a demonstration against the war in Vietnam.
Showery is a McAllen resident and alumni of the University of Texas Pan-American and believes in the message of by the people, for the people.
“I see people being, harmed. I see people dying. I see love is no longer the same love that we knew about. It’s a love that is only for those people who are in charge. But they are not recognizing that it’s for the people, not for them. And they’re enriching through their political powers and leaving us without what we are deserving. That’s why I’m here.”
