The Courthouse on the Square in Denton was the site of one of many No Kings events in North Texas.
Jordan Maddox
Organizers say that more than 8 million people took part in more than 3,000 No Kings protests and marches across the U.S. on Saturday. In North Texas, more than a dozen rallies stayed peaceful although police in Dallas arrested one man they say threw punches during an incident with counter-protesters.
As of Sunday morning, police have not released the name of the man arrested, nor have they said whether he has been released. According to video and reports from Fox 4, A few notable alt-right names were part of the counter-protest, including Oath Keepers Founder Stuart Rhodes and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, the two men who were handed the harshest sentences of anyone convicted for crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Representatives from the DPD could not be reached for comment on Sunday morning.
Aside from that, however, reports have largely been of the peaceful and positive, in North Texas and beyond. The Observer was present in Denton to witness a drum circle during the No Kings event near the Denton courthouse, while thousands of others rallied without incident at street corners and cit halls in Fort Worth, Arlington, Southlake, Frisco, Plano, Carrollton, The Colony and more.
Saturday’s series of events were the third such No Kings effort, following large-scale rallies in June and October. Rather than focusing on a single issue, the No Kings marches have highlighted issues ranging from President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, as well as the wars in Iran, Palestine and Ukraine.
“From major cities to rural towns that have never seen mobilizations like this before, protesters made clear that in America, we don’t do kings,” read a statement from No Kings organizers summing up the day’s events. “Nearly half of No Kings events today were held in traditionally ‘red’ or battleground states. This is what it looks like when a movement grows – not just in size, but in reach, in courage, and in more people who see themselves as part of this movement.”
Below are some shots and videos taken from protests around North Texas, gathered from social media.