Over 1,500 Cache Valley residents rallied in downtown Logan on Saturday, contributing to more than 3,000 "No Kings" protests taking place across the country.
Surrounded by American, Ukrainian, and pride flags, attendees of all ages gathered at the Cache County Historic Courthouse to express their discontent with the federal government and profess their love for their country.
Protest organizer and Logan resident Paul Rogers outlined the demonstration's main concerns.
“One of our key phrases is, ‘Where's Congress?’" Rogers said. "We want to encourage people to get out to vote. We're not telling them what candidates to vote for. 'No Kings' is to get people excited about following our Constitution and participating in democracy.”
The rally ran from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., then transitioned to a march up and down Main Street. When the parade returned to the courthouse, many attendees chose to stay put on the lawn, showcasing their signs and outcries to passersby.
Throughout the entirety of the 3+ hour protest, commuters unable to attend honked their horns in solidarity.
One of the rally’s speakers, Susanne Janecke, applauded the protesters’ dedication — even after some technical difficulties.
“We need to be vigilant for more dirty tricks like turning off the electricity here on our biggest protest, but key volunteers just showed up with power generators, and we are here in full force,” Janecke said.
Among the protesters was Utah House candidate Patrick Belmont, who stressed the importance of unification and protest.
“You know, I've got a 16-year-old daughter, and her future is weighing heavily on my shoulders and my heart every day,” Belmont said. “We’re not moving in a direction where younger generations … are coming into a world where they have anywhere near the choices and opportunities that my generation and older generations have had, and that's not fair.”
Even so, Kathy Chudoba, a 71-year-old attendee and Cache Valley resident, offered future generations a few words of inspiration.
“We really can make a difference when we're involved and we let others know how we feel,” Chudoba said.
Alongside long-time protesters were many who had never attended a protest before, like Beth Hacker, a 21-year-old USU student.
“I got so excited to come see how many people came out to support stuff like this,” Hacker said. “To be able to come and stand up for change and to show that I care about … my life and other people's lives is just really awesome.”
