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PHOTOS: Market Square packed at ‘No Kings’ protest in Old Town

By James Cullum
1/29

An audience of thousands held signs and cheered as Alexandria leaders decried the Trump administration at the second No Kings rally outside City Hall on Saturday.

The first No Kings rally was held in June, albeit against a different backdrop of issues. Today’s event was held amid a shuttered federal government, increased crackdowns from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and federal troops occupying cities across the country. The speakers today in Alexandria included U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th), Mayor Alyia Gaskins, retired general Randy Mannor and Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd), all of whom railed against the administration, joining more than 2,700 similar demonstrations around the country.

Beyer joked that he was confused by the crowd not being full of anti-American terrorists, and said that House Speaker Mike Johnson and White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt are defending Trump, who he called the “most insecure, smallest person who’s ever held our highest office.”

“I was told every person here today was going to be a scary, violent terrorist who hates America,” Beyer said. “We don’t have kings in the United States of America. Power is still held by the people, and today, people across this country, perhaps the largest protest in American history, are sending a very powerful message. We are done with this authoritarian nonsense.”

Gaskins said it felt just like yesterday that she was giving a similar speech — at the first No Kings rally — but that circumstances have changed.

“Since we last gathered, this President and his enablers have sent federal troops into American cities,” Gaskins said. “They have gutted critical programs like SNAP and Medicaid, which we know so many of our neighbors depend on for food and health care. They have forced us into a government shutdown where federal workers are waking up every single day uncertain, not just as to whether or not they will have a paycheck, but whether or not they will have a job to return to. And I’ll tell you this, we are sick of it, because enough is enough. We are sick of the ICE raids, deportations, roundups and the fear that they put in our immigrant community. We are sick of the lies and the attacks on free speech.”

There was also a “Hands Across Alexandria” protest today, where organizers say more than 1,200 people held hands along northbound Route 1 between Powhatan Park and Potomac Yard.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.