How was the No Kings rally in Pahrump?

On Saturday, June 14, millions of people around the country gathered for what was coined a “nationwide day of defiance”, the No Kings rallies aimed at protesting President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. And while Pahrump may be a predominantly red town that has consistently backed Trump in the elections, the Indivisible Nye County Prickly Pears were not about to let the day go by without a local show of support.

“It was important for us to do this on June 14, Flag Day, to exercise our First Amendment rights, to stand in solidarity with the millions of other patriots in our country at these No Kings rallies and defend our constitution, our freedom and our democracy,” Prickly Pear and lead event organizer Ginny Okawa told the Pahrump Valley Times. “We love our country and we are terrified by the authoritarian direction number 47 is taking it. In America, we don’t do kings.”

Okawa said she was fairly amazed at the turnout, which reached about 200 citizens holding up signs with messages such as “We the People serve No King” and “No Parade, give to Medicaid,” a reference to the Grand Army Parade that took place Saturday evening in Washington, D.C.

“Overall, I feel our rally was a great success,” Okawa reported. “We had Dems, nonpartisans and even Republicans out with us. Our goal was to have a peaceful, nonviolent event and for the most part, that is what we had.”

Fellow Prickly Pear Kathleen O’Connor described it as something akin to a religious experience for her, so uplifted was she when people started arriving by the dozens.

“Many times, I was close to tears. We, the Indivisible Nye County Prickly Pears, have been on that corner for six years and the most attendance we have ever had was approximately sixteen or 18 people,” O’Connor told the Times. “Our rally and all those across the country tells me that the MAGA experiment cannot trump the Great American experiment of ‘We the People’.”

Another No Kings event attendee, Pahrump resident Linda Fitzgibbons, said she was very proud of the community for coming together to exercise their right to peacefully assemble, something the veteran members of her family, and all military members, have fought to protect.

“Almost 200 people of all ages, races and backgrounds were present,” Fitzgibbons remarked. “They all chanted respectfully and had good signs. There was a man playing the drum and blasting music. It was very peaceful with most cars and passengers honking or showing thumbs up in support.

“Of course, there were a few ‘flying birds’ but the majority were positive,” she continued. “When I showed up, we were told to stay out of the street and not to block sidewalk traffic and also to not engage in any negativity. There were about 10 Trump supporters and all was quiet until a woman showed up with a bullhorn and started spewing bile and hateful words. The organizers and NCSO shut her down.”

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office maintained a heavy presence throughout the rally but aside from addressing the minor verbal incidents, there was little for officers to do. Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill confirmed that there were no arrests and no major incidents as a result of the protest.

“The only thing that happened was two or three verbal exchanges between people,” McGill told the Times. “We approached them and asked them to keep it calm. They complied and we walked away. There were no further issues with either side.”

At the head of the No Kings nationwide day of protest is an organization called the 50501 Movement, whose first round of protests took place in February and have continued every month since.

“The movement has mobilized millions of people and brought together a growing network of organizers and organizations, both new and established,” the 50501 Movement website states. “Our movement shows the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law.”

More information on the No Kings events can be found at NoKings.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com