Despite some trees in bloom, it was a cold day in the Bronx on Saturday, March 28. That didn\u2019t deter a crowd of over 400 people from turning out for the Bronx No Kings Day. The gathering was held at Lou Gehrig Plaza, directly across from the courthouse and a 3-minute walk from Yankee Stadium. I could see the street sign for the Grand Concourse, where my mother grew up.<\/p>\n
I arrived early. The House of Jax, a well-known Bronx DJ operation, was getting the sound system and vibe in order. The event was organized by NW Bronx Indivisible<\/a>, which handled logistics and curated a lineup of speakers featuring the district\u2019s top elected officials and community activists. Co-sponsors included the Working Families Power<\/a>, New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN<\/a>), NYCD16\/15<\/a> (Full disclosure: I am a member), and two Bronx Democratic political clubs.<\/p>\n Surveying the area, I noticed a table with printed materials set up at the bottom of the plaza. It featured information on Jose Vega, a two-time challenger to incumbent Congressman Ritchie Torres. The campaign coordinator informed me that even if Vega lost the primary, he would be \u201crunning as an independent.\u201d<\/p>\n Midway to the speakers\u2019 platform and off to the side, Bernadette Forward was creating \u201cballoon crowns,\u201d which I later saw atop the heads of both children and adults. Forward said, \u201cPower to the people! No Kings!\u201d Then she added, \u201cWe need to bring some joy. Joy is a form of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n Extreme concern about the diminishment of citizens\u2019 rights was expressed by everyone I interviewed. The war in Iran, the desire to be physically present as part of a larger community, and meeting others pushing back against the Trump regime were repeatedly invoked.<\/p>\n Gay Rosenblum-Kumar told me, \u201cI\u2019m distraught about what Trump is doing here and around the world. He\u2019s totally broken the Constitution. I\u2019m here to be part of the resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n Health rights advocate and an organizer of the day\u2019s rally, Helen Krim, said, \u201cWe chose this site because of the importance of the Grand Concourse in the history of the Bronx and the importance of the Bronx County Courthouse as a symbol of the rule of law in the Bronx.\u201d<\/p>\n That exact sentiment was echoed by Donna LeBron, a Kingsbridge resident. She said, \u201cIt\u2019s horrible that the rule of law is not being adhered to by parts of the government and that people are suffering.\u201d Also expressed was the need for \u201caffordable housing,\u201d \u201cICE Out,\u201d and disgust with a war that has not been approved by Congress.<\/p>\n Signs encompassed the messages, \u201cThank you, Minnesota, for Your Courage,\u201d \u201cStop Fascism,\u201d and \u201cNo Police State!\u201d One canine in attendance sported the placard, \u201cDogs for Democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n Yellow-vested safety marshals and orange-vested organizers were on hand to ensure everything proceeded smoothly. There were plenty of relaxed beat cops on the sidelines.<\/p>\n Promptly at 2:30 p.m., the House of Jax announced, \u201cPut your hands in the air! Show them how we do it in the Bronx! Who\u2019s ready to get this started?\u201d<\/p>\n The program began, led by Melissa Martinez and Ramdat Singh. Passing cars honked horns in support. Martinez announced, \u201cPower belongs to the people.\u201d Roberta Todd<\/a>, a vice president of Our Bronx and a leader in the North West Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, led a moment of silence, flanked by clergy from various denominations. She asked for \u201cprayers for those in the world harmed by the actions of the U.S. government.\u201d Todd concluded with a recitation of the word \u201cpeace\u201d in different languages.<\/p>\n Borough President Vanessa Gibson<\/a> was first up. \u201cThanks for standing in unity. We deserve to live in a democracy. We stand against ICE.\u201d The crowd cheered in response. She continued, \u201cThere are attacks on safety nets that the Bronx depends on. The Bronx is filled with fighters.\u201d She ended with, \u201cWe are together in this work.\u201d<\/p>\n Continuing the call for action, Councilwoman Althea Stevens<\/a> declared, \u201cI stand here today grounded in those who came before me. There are no kings in this country. We demand our voices to be heard.\u201d She referenced the fight for freedom dating back to the era of slavery. Reflecting on how most voters presumed they wouldn\u2019t be impacted by the Trump regime, Stevens pointed out, \u201cToo many people were comfortable saying, \u2018It\u2019s not going to be me.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n Em\u00e9rita Torres<\/a>, Assemblywoman for the 85th A.D. in the South Bronx, decisively verbalized her take. \u201cOur democracy runs on accountability, not Trump\u2019s ego.\u201d Torres recounted her career background, which included ten years in the U.S. State Department and several tours of diplomatic service. She discussed how tariffs and trade policy impact all Americans and become a \u201clocal issue.\u201d Her evaluation of Trump\u2019s handling of these matters was, \u201cHe runs it like a reality show.\u201d On Trump\u2019s Iran debacle, Torres said, \u201cWar has to be a last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n Following these remarks, the Singing Resistance Choir took the stage to lead everyone in a responsive musical set in English and Spanish, providing an invigorating break before the final speakers.<\/p>\n New York City Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez<\/a>, the daughter of Dominican immigrants, tackled the fear of ICE within the borough. \u201cICE is here today,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we send you a strong message. GET OUT!\u201d She advised people to get trained on their rights.<\/p>\n Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz<\/a> mentioned the reality of ICE lurking outside local hospitals. He also told the story of district resident Dillion Lopez Contreras<\/a>, a high school student who was under threat of being deported to Venezuela during the period he had been held in a detention center for ten months. He was released in March.<\/p>\n Advocates at the forefront of progressive initiatives in education, the environment, criminal justice, and health rights drilled down on the hyperlocal challenges to residents.<\/p>\n Leslie Vasquez<\/a>, who works in the environmental justice space, shared that the Bronx has the highest asthma rate in New York City and is known as \u201cAsthma Alley.<\/a>\u201d Edwin Santana<\/a> tackled the fight to close Rikers Island jail, reminding people<\/a>, \u201cWe fought to keep ICE out of Rikers, and we won!\u201d<\/p>\n A key concern Carrie Tracy<\/a>, the Senior Director of Health Initiatives at Community Service Society (CSS), raised was the possibility that a wide swath of Bronxites would lose their health care coverage on July 1 if no aggressive action was taken. \u201cHealthcare is a human right,\u201d she pronounced. \u201cCall the Governor!\u201d Tracy notified those gathered that Assemblywoman Amy Paulin<\/a> and State Senator Gustavo Rivera (S.9589<\/a>) were working on bills to protect medical coverage taken away by Trump\u2019s Big, Beautiful Bill, HR 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU<\/a>) was represented by Amaretta Mathai<\/a>, who was adamant about her organization\u2019s commitment to \u201cequal justice for all.\u201d She stated, \u201cThere will be no warehouses in our community.\u201d She ticked off the number of lawsuits the NYCLU has put into play against the Trump agenda, and underscored the ongoing fight \u201cfor birthright citizenship.\u201d<\/p>\n