Defiant Democrats embrace 'No Kings' rallies: 'As American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie'
Source: The Hill
10/18/25 6:00 AM ET
Defiant Democrats are embracing this weekends No Kings rallies, bashing the GOPs attacks on the anti-Trump protests as an assault on free speech while urging voters to take to the streets. Showing up to express dissent against an out-of-control administration, thats as American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Friday.
The pushback comes in response to Republican leaders who have spent much of the last week trying to brand the planned protests as hate-America demonstrations backed by left-wing extremists vying to undermine the countrys democratic traditions. We call it the hate America rally that will happen Saturday. Lets see who shows up for that, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters in Washington this week. I bet you youll see Hamas supporters, I bet youll see antifa types, I bet youll see the Marxists on full display the people who dont want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic.
Hardly backing down, Democrats have countered those broadsides by emphasizing that one foundational truth of the republic is the right to protest the government, which is enshrined in the First Amendment. With that in mind, many are not only endorsing the No Kings demonstrations on Saturday, theyre planning to join them.
Ill be at a rally. Ill be holding an American flag in my hand, said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. It seems that Speaker Johnson and House Republicans only believe that free speech matters if you agree with their speech.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5561353-democrats-no-kings-rallies/

displacedvermoter
(3,964 posts)To peacefully protest is a fundamental right, a duty, for citizens in this country. That "Hardly backing down..." line coming right after Johnson's hateful remarks makes it sound like he has a point, and those damn Democrats are once against bucking the norms.
It is a different sort of both siderism. The Hill is so damn predictable.