On Saturday, Oct. 18, over 400 Auburn and Opelika residents of all ages gathered for the “No Kings” protest outside the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Protestors stood along North College Street and held up American flags and light-up letter signs that spelled out “COUNTRY OVER PARTY.” According to the Auburn/Opelika No Kings website, they wanted to “take advantage” of game-day traffic.
No Kings is part of a movement called 50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states and one movement. According to the organization’s website, the Trump administration has “doubled down,” citing gerrymandering voting districts, ICE raids across the nation, mass shootings, high cost of living, as well as cutting healthcare, environmental protections and education.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” the website reads in its about section. “But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
The page ends with the organization's mission in bold: "No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings."
The organization’s website says that they have zero tolerance for violence and weapons at their protests.
Although the event officially began at 10 a.m., protesters and organizers showed up earlier to set up. Attendees passed around American flags, and volunteers held up lit-up signs that spelled out “COUNTRY OVER PARTY.” Several donned shirts from 50501 that read “Big Fan of Democracy” on the front and “Unpaid Protestor” on the back, and other protesters held up smaller, individual signs.
A minor car crash occurred around the beginning of the protest, reportedly due to the car in front stopping or slowing down suddenly to observe the protest. None of those involved appeared injured. Other than the crash, the protest continued peacefully without any major incidents.
Responses to the protest from passing cars were mostly positive, with several vehicles honking in support, waving or giving a thumbs up. However, some passerby responded negatively, with a few shouting at protesters as they drove by.
As the protest progressed, the numbers increased. There were over 400 present at the peak of the protest, according to Lee McInnis, a veteran and the Democratic candidate running for Congressional District 3 of Alabama. McInnis is also a member of the local Indivisible Alabama chapter that protests authoritarianism.
McInnis said that attendees were at No Kings to protest “loss of civil rights” and to show the community that they stand against the Trump administration’s actions and policies.
“We have people being detained and disappeared off our streets without due process of law,” McInnis said. “We’re here protesting the presence of troops in American cities, the use of the National Guard outside their home states.”
Protesters are also there to stand against what McInnis calls a “disrespect” to the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution shown by the Trump administration.
“Overall, we believe that Donald Trump is not an imperial power,” said McInnis. “He is an elected president and should follow the Constitution.”
“We don’t hate anything,” McInnis continued. “We’re here advocating for our Constitution, our rule of law, for the people and marginalized communities that are being victimized by this administration. That’s what we’re protesting for. We’re not protesting against anything. We’re protesting for things.”
William B. Brown, an 84-year-old former news editor, decided to protest, because he believes that this is a “terribly, terribly important” time for the U.S.
“I spent my entire career as a newspaper editor being evenhanded, not participating in things for one side or another,” Brown said. “We did believe in unbiased reporting and editing. But here I am, 84 years old, with a bad back and bad feet, very, very concerned about the future of this country.”
Although Brown is nervous for future generations, he explained he wants to help do his part by protesting.
“I won’t live long enough to see the fruit of the seeds that are being sowed right now, but I have children and grandchildren,” Brown continued. “The republic is our guarantee of everybody’s freedom, and that republic is being attacked, so I’m doing my little bit out here to demonstrate that not everybody in America is willing just to go along.”
To lift people’s spirits, some protesters took inspiration from others around the country and protested in costume. The most common costume was the frog, which has become a symbol of antifascist protest and solidarity in Portland and other cities. One such protester in an inflatable frog costume, who identified himself as "Hip Hop Hooray," wanted to practice “intentional tactical frivolity” and protest against fascism and for freedom.
“We want it to be fun and right,” Hooray said, holding a sign that said “Ribbit. Resist. Repeat.” with a frog on it. “It’s a spread the love and peace kind of vibe, makes it easier for people to be smiling.”
Protestors dress in frog inflatables holding up signs that read H.O.P "Ribbit.Resist.Repeat" during the No Kings protest on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
Another protester, Kathy Ziemann, a disabled veteran dressed in a zip-up frog onesie, said she was at the protest for many different reasons. Among those were protecting her right to vote; representing her child, who is autistic, and herself as a service-connected disabled veteran; and protest the National Guard being sent to Chicago.
“My family is from there,” Ziemann said of Chicago. “My grandparents had homes there. I’ve walked those streets.”
Ziemann also protested because she wants to take care of her military oath, which she said “never stopped.”
Members of the Auburn chapter of the United Campus Workers of Alabama were also present at the protest. Kaitlin Connelly, a 27-year-old member, stated that the union was focused on protesting for a livable wage and building visibility and community in the area.
“I’m out here with the union to help support this protest.” Connelly said. “We’re really excited to be out here fighting for our democracy. We care deeply about worker rights and making sure everyone can live a safe and happy, healthy life. We want to build community with the people here.”
Kristin Hinnant, a committee member of the local Indivisible Alabama chapter, gave a statement to The Plainsman about the No Kings protests in the Auburn-Opelika area and all around the nation. She especially focused on the movement as a response to what she called an “escalation” by the Trump administration. According to Hinnant, the national No Kings protest on Oct. 18 is expected to be the biggest day of protest in history, with over 10 million people expected to attend nationwide.
“People are showing up in huge numbers around the country, because there is a growing understanding that something really dangerous and scary is happening,” Hinnant said. “We’ve seen repeated escalations since the first No Kings protest: The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill that rips healthcare away from so many people; the attacks on D.C., Chicago, Portland; the ways in which this administration has escalated attacks on First Amendment rights.”
Although many had different reasons for attending the protest, all were united under the mission to choose and protect democracy.
“We are standing against the corruption, against the attacks on our neighbors, and we’ll continue to stand together as this administration tries to consolidate, control,” Hinnant said. “This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship, and we’re choosing democracy.”
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