Amid more than 2,500 similar events nationwide, a “No Kings” rally in the City of Falls Church is expected to draw a huge turnout of citizens lining Broad Street (Rt. 7) from end-to-end this Saturday morning, Oct. 18. The rally is set as a participant in “the biggest day of non-violent protest in U.S. history, designed to show love for community, country and democracy,” organizers say.
The “Hands Across Falls Church” event will run from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. co-organized by Falls Church Indivisible and Democracy Falls Church, and citizens urged just to show up with handmade signs (positive signage or flags are encouraged) or not, anywhere on the length of Broad Street in the Little City, from Haycock Road on the west end to the Seven Corners intersection on the east to be part of a “human chain.”
A pre-rally gathering will occur at the historic Falls Church Episcopal Church, 115 E. Broad St. “We’ll show that we don’t want kings or crowns and won’t back down against chaos, cruelty and corruption,” organizers state.
A bold full-page ad sponsored by Home of the Brave on Page 5 of the Washington Post Wednesday announced “We will peacefully protest our false king, noting he “has declared war on our Constitution, our rule of law and our federal courts.” It adds, “He has sought absolute, unchecked power. He has proclaimed the free press to be the ‘enemy of the people.’ He has invented false emergencies to seize powers that he does not have. He has unleashed the military in our cities without our consent. He has sent masked and unidentified men to abduct us. He has undermined vaccines and dismantled the agencies that protect us from plagues, putting American lives at risk. He has abused the power of the presidency to attack and prosecute his political opponents. He has attempted to stifle our speech and silence our dissent. He has exploited his office to enrich himself, his family and his friends.”
Another large ad calling for participation in the Falls Church rally, calling for “No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings,” also appears in this edition of the News-Press, paid for by the two local organizing groups.
In addition to a major event in D.C. at noon, the Falls Church event will be joined by other area rallies, including a “Bridge Visibility Event” in Arlington on Friday at 4:30 p.m. on the overpass on I-66 at 5705 Fairfax Drive, on Saturday a march across the Memorial Bridge to D.C. at 10 a.m., a rally in McLean’s Central Park at noon, at 11 a.m. in Bailey’s Crossroads at 3480 S. Jefferson, and more.
A “Voices for Justice” free event at the Rock Springs United Church of Christ in North Arlington, 5010 Little Falls Rd., will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. involving six local church choirs.
The core message of the “No Kings” rallies is a peaceful rejection of authoritarianism and a reaffirmation of democratic principles. Organizers are mobilizing millions nationwide to protest against what they perceive as dictatorial tendencies, corruption, and the abuse of power. The movement asserts that America belongs to its people, not to any “king” or corrupt ruling class.
The rallies, many organized locally by groups like Indivisible and the AFL-CIO, aim to counter political actions seen as hostile to American democracy. Protesters demand an end to the influence of billionaires in government, protection of social programs, and opposition to attacks on marginalized communities. A central theme is the rejection of chaos and cruelty in favor of unity and democratic values. Events emphasize nonviolent action and de-escalation, while local rallies also include community efforts like food and supply drives.
A Falls Church organizer said, “No Kings is more than a slogan. It’s a founding principle of this nation. People across America are uniting to defend that ideal and to show that power still rests with the people, not with any one man. We are showing that we will not accept tyranny in any form. We intend to remind America what it means to say, truly and proudly, ‘No Kings.’”