People starting to arrive at Grant Park in Chicago for a “No Kings” event are bringing energy — and props.
Scan across the lawn, and it’s not hard to spot an inflatable baby version of President Donald Trump holding a sign. Inside is Riz Hortega, an Ottawa, Illinois, resident.
She said she wants the president to “step down.” Hortega, who is Mexican, also said she believes ICE should be abolished.
“Mexicans have a place here. We’ve been here for a long time, we’ve proven that we’re hard workers and that’s all we’re here to do,” Hortega told CNN.
Later this afternoon, there is expected to be a lineup of speakers and a DJ to keep the crowd energized. The crowd will then walk through the city and past Trump Tower.
For Maria Isabel Trejo, this is her third “No Kings” protest. She said people in Chicago want to make a difference.
“The message is he is a bad guy, the president is a bad person. ICE is brutalizing immigrants, even American citizens,” Trejo said. She and her husband held signs that said, “impeach the felon” and “there are power in numbers.”
If the United States has money to start a war with Iran, Trejo said, “then why don’t we have enough money here to support the people, the American citizens?”