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At least 3,000 people gathered around Flagstaff’s City Hall on Saturday, June 14, for a protest against President Donald Trump.

Flagstaff’s protest was one of thousands that took place nationwide, taking the theme "No Kings" and timed to coincide with both Flag Day and Trump’s controversial multimillion-dollar military parade in Washington, D.C.

In the fifth month of Trump’s presidency, the reasons people have for protesting are numerous.

There were signs referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Elon Musk, oligarchy, monarchy, fascism, authoritarianism, veterans' health, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, Indigenous people’s rights, science, education, public lands and more.

“These are my bullet points here,� Paul, a U.S. Navy veteran said, reading off his handwritten cardboard sign. “No king, no dictator, no fascism, no hate, free speech matters, due process matters. Those things are being threatened right now.�

One protester, asked about their reasons for attending, said, “Where do I start?� Another quipped, “I need 10 signs, but I only have two hands.�

Highly publicized ICE raids in major cities across the U.S. -- part of Trump’s effort to enact “mass deportations� -- were one major talking point of the day. The raids, often led by ICE agents out of uniform with their faces covered, have sparked widespread fears and generated intense pushback in some communities, most notably Los Angeles.

“The rounding up of immigrants, or anybody with brown skin � � one woman began, with her husband finishing the thought: “That’s terrible. Just to meet a quota? Give me a break. You’re rounding up 9-year-old kids? That’s just plain wrong.�

Renewed attacks on the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community were another prominent concern, as June is also Pride Month.

“We’re all Americans. Everyone here is an American. But we’re not being treated like it,� an attendee named Sabre said. “And I think that hurts. Seeing so many people, so many communities being erased -- or being attempted to be erased -- has been really painful for me to watch as a trans person.�

Some protesters emphasized the concerns of Arizona's Indigenous communities. One bore a sign referencing Oak Flat -- an area east of Phoenix that is sacred to the Apache, where both the first and second Trump administrations have tried to fast-track a major new copper mine.

Another attendee, Jason, carried a sign referencing the federal government’s treaty obligations to protect natural and cultural resources of Indigenous tribes.

“With the drive toward getting rid of [national] monuments, getting rid of regulations, our resources are being impacted,� he said. “It’s critical that the government realizes that it has this responsibility to us, and they need to live up to it.�

“We need more Indigenous representation and not less. They’re definitely making it less,� he said. “They’re making it harder for not just Indigenous people but also minority people to get employment with the government. They’re making it harder to maintain that employment when they get it. Without us, without our input � we’re going to go back to the days when they disregarded us.�

Others spoke of their fear that the basic political order of the United States was under threat.

“It’s watching our Constitution be slowly degraded to the point where I’m not sure it’s all that meaningful anymore,� a protester named April said. “You can’t pick and choose which amendments you’re going to follow, which statutes you think are appropriate. And having so many residents in this country not recognize that, eventually it will impact you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but over the course of the next four years � I’m not sure.�

Flagstaff City Council member Khara House gave a speech at the event, linking the day's protest to longer, historical struggles. 

â€�365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­ I say, ‘No Kings,â€� because I honor my ancestors who fought to end the systems where one man’s will dictated another’s future, whether through slavery, segregation or suppression," House told listeners. "365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­ we say, ‘No Kings,â€� because that fight isn’t over â€� not while rights are being stripped, histories are being erased, citizens are being kidnapped and communities are being silenced.â€�

Large crowds, calm atmosphere

The participants arrived by car, on foot, in strollers, in wheelchairs, on bicycles and walkers. The crowd quickly filled the lawn in front of City Hall and spilled west down both sides of Route 66 to the intersection with Sitgreaves Street, and east to Beaver Street. Small clusters of demonstrators lined the west side of Humphreys Street up to Birch Avenue, and a few stood on the north steps of City Hall.

Befitting a demonstration held on Flag Day, there were numerous American flags flying -- some upside-down, an old indication of a ship in distress that has been widely adopted as a symbol of protest. But there were also rainbow pride flags, Ukrainian flags and Palestinian flags visible in the crowd.

While protesters were arriving around the official start time of 2:30 p.m., one woman could be heard chanting, “No more Nazis!� A Bluetooth speaker was playing the viral song In the center of the lawn, a drum circle formed and would keep a steady groove going for hours, while down on the sidewalk some holding signs chanted, “No Trump! No KKK! No fascist USA!�

Adding to the cheers, chants and percussion, passing traffic kept up a near-constant chorus of honking. Some drivers pumped their fists in support and waved flags out their windows.

The day was cloudless and hot, and many attendees sought shade wherever possible: under buildings, trees, bridges and bushes. Others, anticipating the heat, were passing out free bottles of cold water or offering sunscreen to fellow protesters. One carried a sign reading, “Hydrate, Don’t Capitulate.�

And although a handful of protesters appeared to be prepared for the possibility that the afternoon might turn confrontational -- a respirator dangling from a backpack, or a first-aid kit slung off a belt -- most were dressed in shorts, sandals and summer attire, and the scene remained calm.

Organizers from the group Indivisible Northern Arizona were circulating prominently throughout the crowd in high-visibility vests, and signs posted on cones warned demonstrators not to engage with any counterprotesters.

The only indications of a pro-Trump presence were occasional passers-by, such as a man in a pickup truck who shouted, “MAGA!� -- the acronym for Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again� -- and another man in a different pickup who held a middle finger up to Humphreys Street while waiting at the red light.

Officers from the Flagstaff Police Department occasionally walked through the assembly, and two vehicles from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office were parked nearby for at least part of the event, but the afternoon passed peacefully.

Looking ahead

Multiple people interviewed by the Arizona Daily Sun said the strong turnout for the protest was encouraging, or it at least gave them a sense of hope. But despite the upbeat atmosphere and the sense of solidarity, many acknowledged that the path forward for opponents of Trump's administration is unclear.

“It’s so hard when you’re in the middle of fighting, and you’re like, ‘This isn’t right,� but we don’t necessarily know how to get to the next, better thing,� one attendee, Bella, said. “There are so many things that are wrong.�

One woman said she hoped the administration’s own dysfunctionality would impede Trump’s efforts.

“I’m hoping they go so badly off-rails that they’re not going to be able to recover from it,� she said. “And I don’t know what that’s going to look like, but they’re making an awful lot of mistakes.�

Others expressed hope that the Constitution’s intended checks and balances could still be utilized, or even -- eventually -- strengthened.

“Personally, I hope it doesn’t tear the country apart like it did the last time he was in office,� April said. “I’m really hoping that the citizens and residents of the country see that we’re all living in the same country and we can’t fight against each other, because that’s scary.�

“Honestly, I’m really hoping that we do get the balance of power back that has completely been eroded,� she continued. “The judicial system is trying. I don’t see much from our congressional leaders to show that they’re representative of all persons that live in this country. I’d like to see some of that happening.�

Laura, standing beside April, agreed.

“We might need to make some changes now that we know [Trump’s] been able to get this far with authoritarianism and the unprecedented ways he’s acting like a dictator,� she said. “We need some new guardrails. We definitely do.�

She added: “Trump is not above the law. That we all can rally behind.�

Some spoke of impeaching Trump -- though, as one protester noted, “That’s the first step. I don’t think that’s the end-all, be-all solution.�

Another attendee, Brent, agreed with that sentiment. “Donald Trump has proven that he cannot handle the power of the position that he’s in,� he said. “Every day more and more news comes out about abuses of power, abuses of human rights� If he was going to stop at some point, he would have already stopped. At this point, for me, he’s proven that he’s unfit for office and we need to impeach him.�

“The problem with that,� Brent continued, “is his cabinet is full of other sycophants who are gonna be just as bad as him. If we have to do one at a time, and impeach one, and then the other and then the other and then the other, whatever we can do to put roadblocks in front of the decimation of human rights that’s happening on a daily basis in this country.�

“We cannot wait until the 2026 elections,� he added. “But I do believe the 2026 elections are going to be very telling of how the public feels about what’s going on right now.�

For the moment, at least, many attendees found some solace or strength simply in standing up. Paul, the Navy veteran, was protesting alongside his son.

“It’s good to show an example to your kids, your grandkids,� he said. “Where were you at this moment? What were you doing? Were you fighting for our future? Yeah, we are.�