Two “No Kings” rallies Saturday, along the Ninth Street Bridge in Ocean City and in front of the county courthouse stretching down Route 9, were among the best-attended in Cape May County’s history. More than 1,000 people attended each demonstration, many in costume or holding balloons, to protest Trump administration policies that rally-goers widely described as authoritarian.
Some two dozen protesters who spoke with the Herald rattled off the issues: deployment of the military into American cities, the deportation of migrants without trial, the scapegoating of LGBT Americans, the slashing of federal funding without approval from Congress and, generally, what was described as vile rhetoric from the president and his administration.
The Oct. 18 protests had a more upbeat atmosphere than those in February and June. The Court House gathering stuck to sidewalks on both sides of Route 9, from Romney Place to the south side of Mechanic Street, but did not quite reach the Trump merchandise store nearby. People wore colorful costumes, held “baby Trump” balloons and chanted things like “USA, USA, USA” and “When our rights are under attack, what do we do? We fight back!”
Some signs were humorous and used crude language:
- “No Faux-King Fascist” (this sign was common)
- “Honk if You Never Drunk Texted War Plans”
- “I prefer my ICE crushed”
- “Eggs Are Expensive Because the Chickens in Congress Are on a Break”
Other signs were more sincere expressions of concern for the state of American politics:
- “We Love America, That’s Why We Protest!”
- “Power of the People”
- “Release the Epstein Files”
- “Cruel Is not Cool”
- “My Allegiance Is to the Constitution of the USA and to Love Thy Neighbor”
George Murray, from Marmora, wore an inflatable T. rex costume and held a sign: “Fascism leads to the extinction of Democracy.” Murray said that he has come to all of the No Kings protests this year. He regularly joins a street corner protest that meets at the intersection of Route 9 and Roosevelt Boulevard, the main turn into Ocean City.
By the Herald’s count, roughly 1200 people were in attendance at the Court House protest. Maggie Morin, who organized the rally alongside Cape May County Indivisible, said that she was not surprised by the large turnout, which she put around 1800 people. She expressed frustration at Republican leaders who characterized the protests as un-American and violent, even before they happened.
“Everything is getting worse – the hate rhetoric they’re spreading. The lies from the Speaker of the House that we’re being terrorists, pro-Hamas. It’s ridiculous. It’s hateful lies,” she said.
Most in Court House wore costumes in step with protesters in Portland, Oregon. Protesters there wore inflatable costumes (powered by a small battery pack and air pump) as they stood in front of the city’s ICE facility. Protesters told the Herald that colorful costumes spread a message of joy and acceptance that contrasts with the president and his administration. Costumes were worn to counteract what they see as cruelty and negativity.
Jane Hickman, from Cape May, wore an inflatable shark costume. She said, “I’m here because I saw what was happening in Portland and I heard what the administration was saying about violence, and I thought I’d wear something that makes people smile.”
Following the protests, the president posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social of fecal matter being dumped from a fighter jet onto No Kings protesters. In the 19-second video, the president wears a crown and pilots the jet, named “King Trump.”
Frogs were a motif at the rallies. The animal could be seen on signs and costumes in both Ocean City and Court House. It’s a reference to a Portland protester who was attacked by a federal agent in a viral video. The federal agent pepper-sprayed the frog costume’s air vent.
Ariel C., from Court House, came dressed as Gandalf, complete with a fake beard and wizard’s staff. “The main feeling I have is a lot of rage,” she told the Herald. “I see people’s constitutional rights trampled on, like the right to due process. If you arrest somebody without due process, it’s just kidnapping. So many people in ICE custody are lost track of. How do you lose track of people? That’s crazy!”
People of all ages attended the rallies, but many older locals showed up because they said they fear for the future of the country. Lisa Collen, for example, said she attended the Ocean City rally because she fears that younger generations will experience a very different America than the one she grew up in.
“If the country keeps going like this, you won’t have much of a future,” she said, expressing specific ire at “the fact Trump is using our military against our people instead of to protect our people.” The president’s use of the military to occupy Democrat-run cities was a particular point of contention for protesters.
Gino Hannah, a musician from Cape May, said that he appreciates the presence of older locals at the rally but worries that some are too focused on Trump himself. “It’s cool to see the elders getting revolutionary,” he told the Herald. “But authoritarianism is the issue and Trump isn’t the centerpiece of that. The forces that Trump is under are more of a threat than Trump himself.”
Still, not everybody who showed up to either rally bought into the idea that Trump is a king. Pro-Trump representation was slight in Court House, mostly limited to passing cars. In Ocean City, a man parked his Subaru Outback in the Island Beach Gear parking lot by a busy sidewalk and blared his horn for roughly five minutes until a police officer intervened.
Across the street, by the Ocean City TD Bank, a small group of counter-protesters stood with Trump flags and shirts expressing support for the president. Brad Moore said that he showed up as soon as he heard that an anti-Trump protest was happening up the road from his house. He wanted to counter-program the three-hour event. He came prepared with an e-bike of supplies, a chair, a large Trump flag, power cables to hook up to an inflatable Trump and a T-shirt that read: “I Love Trump Because He Pisses off the People I Can’t Stand.”
Moore said he wasn’t expecting anybody else to join him. But he was pleasantly surprised to find the company of about 15 Trump supporters.
“I wouldn’t mind being by myself, because I know I’ve got the big guy with me,” Moore told the Herald, gesturing to the Trump inflatable. “These protesters don’t realize the sacrifice so many people made for our country… I believe in securing our borders. I believe in America first. I believe in the USA. I think Trump is one of the best presidents ever. No, he is the best.”
He said he would be happy to debate anybody on the “other side,” meaning the street.
Contact the reporter, Collin Hall, at 609-886-8600, ext. 156, or by email at chall@cmcherald.com.
