By Maeve Sterling

Fayetteville residents and visitors gathered at the Washington County Courthouse on Oct. 18 to participate in the nationwide “No Kings” protest, scheduled to run from noon to 2 p.m. through heavy rain and peak intersection traffic hours.

The event was organized by Zero Hour Arkansas, a local branch of the nonprofit organization of the same name that works toward a “livable planet for all” through climate and political activism. Zero Hour planned and promoted multiple events across Northwest Arkansas, including Bentonville, Little Rock and Rogers.

Local attendees arrived as early as 10 a.m., carrying handmade signs with slogans, political cartoons and caricatures in defense of First Amendment rights and in protest of President Donald Trump’s administration.

By noon, heavy rain poured down, but hundreds still lined the intersection of College Avenue and Center Street. Their voices rose above the rush of passing cars as protesters chanted, “Who’s got the power?” and “We’ve got the power.”

Dara Gaines attended the protest with the Democratic Party of Arkansas to encourage Arkansas citizens to register to vote.

“We’ve learned that people have a lot of frustration to get out right now,” Gaines said. “The way the system is set up, there’s only so much you can do without being in it.”

She said her purpose at the protest was to encourage people to turn their strong feelings into action. Gaines said the protest allows her organization to motivate people when they are experiencing strong emotions and to channel them in ways that create change.

Joe and Jody Rathe, registered Democrats and Fayetteville residents, said they attended the protest to express how they feel about what is happening in Washington and across the country. Although they both expressed a desire to see change in Arkansas, they said they felt grim about the state administration’s – specifically Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ – willingness to listen to citizens.

“Sarah’s not going to say anything,” Joe Rathe said, “Nobody’s going to say anything until you get in the streets.”

Even those with autoimmune diseases, like Corrinnia Briggs, chose to remain in the cold rain because the cause was important to them. Briggs said being at the protest showed her what it was like to be surrounded by like-minded people and that there is still a large group willing to face issues to make something positive happen.

“I’m loving seeing as many people got out in the rain as they did,” Briggs said. “I think it’s really encouraging.”

Briggs is heavily involved in politics and writes letters to local officials. She said she believes the biggest problem Arkansas faces is that no matter how much someone reaches out, it doesn’t feel like anything is being accomplished.She said she believes the response to protests throughout the state will go unnoticed by the governor or even result in something inane.

Throughout the day, cars passed by the protest honking in support, with some drivers holding up their own signs or giving a thumbs-up through their windows. Others shouted expletives and pro-MAGA remarks at the protesters.

However frustrated, protesters were overheard saying, “It’s their own counterprotest. It’s ridiculous, but we respect it.”

Throughout the weekend, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance poked fun at protesters by posting AI-generated memes on social media depicting Trump wearing a crown, while continuing to deny being called a king. Organizers estimated that 2,700 protests in cities and towns across all 50 states drew more than 7 million people in support of anti-authoritarian and anti-oligarchic causes.

Despite the heavy storm that picked up by 1 p.m., people of all ages, from young children to veterans in wheelchairs, stood proudly through the intensity of the afternoon. Some took shelter on the steps of the courthouse and a church next door, continuing to wave signs and participate in chants.

Becky Sayre, a longtime Democrat, protested with the same spirit she had when demonstrating against the Vietnam War. She said she strongly believes that we can’t let our country fall under fascist rule.

She said she was standing outside for younger people, like her grandchildren, who are depending on her to do what’s right. She said people’s security is at stake, with some being removed from their homes and the streets, as health care benefits become increasingly at risk.

“I have grandchildren and I’m standing for them,” Sayre said. “I want it to be a good world, a peaceful world.”

She said that although she protested against the Vietnam War, this is the first time she hasn’t felt safe in the country, even though she said it shouldn’t be that way.

Sayre explained that she doesn’t blame Trump entirely for the country’s issues. She believes that people are like a garden, meant to be made up of every color, able to work together and create a better country.

“Our leaders should not be dividing us, but bringing us together,” Sayre said.