On a stage in Easton’s Centre Square, Steven Schmid told hundreds of protestors to fight for their First Amendment rights.
“We are not a fascist state,” said Schmid, a member of local group Easton United for Democracy. “We do not put people in cages. We do not rip children away from their parents in the middle of the night. We show our faces and we are proud to stand up for our rights united.”
The No Kings Day protestors joined the millions across more than 2,700 cities marching against policies enacted by the Trump administration in a day of national protest.
Many Easton protestors, accompanied by an energetic jazz band, held signs protesting the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants and refusal to release the Epstein files, on top of dozens of others proclaiming “No Kings.”
Chad Heimbecker, who positioned himself atop a rock overlooking the circle, held a sign with QR codes leading to voter registration and mail-in ballot request webpages.
Heimbecker, who is running for Lower Saucon Township Council, said he wanted to encourage attendees to go beyond the protest and “get out there and vote, even if it’s not for me.” He said he successfully got three attendees to register to vote at the event.
Scarlett Saam ‘29 attended the protest with five friends from Lafayette College. She expressed a sense of responsibility in joining the event.
“I’m at a very nice institution with parents who support me, and I think having privilege and knowing that you have privilege means that you should be using that to help other people,” Saam said.
Easton United for Democracy planned a food drive benefiting the Facebook-based food distribution group, Angels of Easton, as part of the event. Attendees were encouraged to bring nonperishable food to donate to benefit Easton’s homeless population and those in need.
“We’re out here screaming and yelling for our rights,” Schmid said in an interview after his speech. “Meanwhile, there’s people who can’t be here because of their housing situation, because of their medical situation, because of insecurities or lack of information.”
Schmid expressed happiness at the event’s turnout.
“I was unsure of how many people would be here, but that anyone shows up at all is good. If one person showed up, we would make it work,” he said.
About 200 miles south of Easton, over 100,000 protesters marched in Washington, D.C., in an area directly affected by thousands of federal job cuts and a pervasive National Guard presence. Protestors marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, facing the U.S. Capitol and other national landmarks.
Regan Price and Carina Campellone sat on a nearby lawn with friends and a dog, Hazelnut. Watching the protest from afar, the two Washington locals expressed frustration after being furloughed as federal government contractors in 2025.
“There’s no jobs out there because Trump’s shutting down everything,” Price said.
Marching parallel to a giant Constitution banner hoisted by protestors, Patrick Earle of Silver Spring, Maryland, dressed as the Lorax from the popular Dr. Seuss children’s book. He walked alongside a costumed Abraham Lincoln, who declined to comment on his real identity.
“They’re trying to develop a culture of fear,” said Earle, who was protesting against National Guard deployments, immigration policies and press censorship. “And I think you meet fear with fun.”
Michael Penman, a recent newcomer to Washington and minister of Pilgrim Baptist Church, described the day as a “time to fly the flag.”
“If you have a proper foundation in your faith and understand that it’s about a relationship with a higher power, and how that relationship compels you to treat other people around you, then you’re always going to stand for those who are the least of society,” Penman said.
Tiara Ettison, sitting with her dog, Storm, wore a Deadpool costume. She said that, “We need some superheroes.”
“Our hands are very much tied,” said Ettison, an employee of the Office of the Attorney General. “The most that we can do is bystander training, show people, tell people about their rights and know how to operate.”
The protest also included speeches by Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and popular science communicator Bill Nye.
“You have to step up and be active when the time calls,” said David Binns, a rally-goer with his family.
