Carrying signs with slogans such as \u201cNo thrones, no crowns, no kings\u201d and \u201cDefend our democracy,\u201d hundreds of people gathered on a cool, sunny Saturday in the Lehigh Valley as part of nationwide \u201cNo Kings\u201d protests against President Donald Trump and issues such as his administration\u2019s crackdown on illegal immigration and cuts to health care.<\/p>\n
Similar to protests in June<\/a>, more than 2,000 rallies were held nationwide, including locally near the offices<\/a> of Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Salisbury Township and at Emrick Boulevard and Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem Township.<\/p>\n Passing drivers honked their horns in support, protestors waved the American and pride flags, and a few occasionally chanted and played drums. The Morning Call saw a light police presence in Salisbury Township but no incidents there or in Bethlehem Township.<\/p>\n One protestor with a tally counter reported about 1,000 attendees toward the end of the Bethlehem Township protest, while Rep. Peter Schweyer reported several thousand attendees at the Salisbury Township gathering, including fellow Democrats Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and Rep. Josh Siegel.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much to protest,\u201d Schweyer said. \u201cAnd what you\u2019ll see with the signs are everything from protecting our health care to paying troops. I saw signs supporting workers rights, LGBTQ rights. I\u2019ve seen signs about protecting our democracy. Sort of a lot of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n The common theme for Saturday\u2019s protestors, he added, was that \u201cnobody\u2019s happy with the direction of our country. Nobody believes that Donald Trump or Ryan Mackenzie have our best interests at heart at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Mackenzie\u2019s office wasn\u2019t immediately available for comment Saturday. GOP leaders painted the protests as unpatriotic and out of touch, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling<\/a>\u00a0the protests the \u201chate America rally.\u201d<\/p>\n Patty Pologruto, a volunteer with the Northampton County Democratic Committee, however, said the rallies were evidence of a \u201cgroundswell of discontent with the Trump administration.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not paid,\u201d she said. \u201cTrust me, we are not paid. We are not being organized by anybody high up. This is local yokel.\u201d<\/p>\n