Nationwide ‘No Kings’ protest returns for third wave in Nebraska

Demonstrators gathered across Nebraska on Saturday as part of the third wave of the nationwide "No Kings" movement, a series of demonstrations opposing what organizers call authoritarian policies from the Trump administration.

The protests, dubbed No Kings 3, were organized by groups including Indivisible and 50501 as part of a broader national coalition. Thousands of Nebraskans participated in the previous nationwide protests in both June and October.

National organizers reported a large increase in turnout from their first demonstration in June to their second in October. According to the Mobilize Us website, 21 cities across the state of Nebraska hosted protests Saturday - five more than in October.

Nebraska protests were held in Alliance, Aurora, Beatrice, Blair, Chadron, Columbus, David City, Fremont, Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Lincoln, Lyons, McCook, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, Scottsbluff, Sidney, South Sioux City and Wayne.

Lincoln Protest

In Lincoln, hundreds stretched along the Helen Boosalis Trail between 27th and 56th streets for two hours in 40-degree weather Saturday morning. The location was a change from previous rallies held at the Nebraska State Capitol last year.

Christine Strand, an organizer with Indivisible Nebraska in Lincoln, said despite the cold weather and competition with the Nebraska spring football game, turnout was comparable to the movement’s earlier rounds.

“I think the energy is growing, " Strand said. “We’re seeing all ages coming out – from small children up to people in their 80s and 90s.”

Brad Carper, 73, a Lincoln native, said he had never protested anything before Saturday but that his involvement was “worth it.” Carper said he sees U.S. military involvement abroad as a tipping point for many of the people in attendance.

"I think that's kind of the straw that broke the camel's back," he said. “Especially if he sends troops on the ground.”

Trey Maynard, a mechanic who grew up in Kearney and has lived in Lincoln for several years, attended his second No Kings rally Saturday. Maynard said visibility matters, particularly in a state that voted heavily for Trump.

“I do think it's important for us as individuals and as a collective whole to see this many people are dissatisfied with the things that are happening,” Maynard said. “Especially in a red state like Nebraska, it's really heartening to see this many people stand up for what's right.”

Omaha Protest

Protesters lined two blocks of Maple Street outside of Gallagher Park in downtown Omaha, carrying signs criticizing the Trump administration, enforcement carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the recent escalation of U.S. military action in Iran and the Middle East. Some carried American Flags, others wore colonial garb, and some even wore inflatable animal costumes.

“It’s for the absurdism,” Brian Leary said, from the inside of a pink, blow-up shark. “The whole idea that we’re out here being violent, that we’re out here being terrorists by being anti-fascist…if this is what terrorism looks like, you’re not doing too good in your mental state, are you?”

Crowds filled the park and gathered around a stage where representatives from the Omaha Tribe sang songs and held a moment of prayer for the country and the people at the protest.

Samuel Grant of the Omaha Tribe came to support the people ICE has detained and their families. He said he was in Minneapolis shortly after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed. His experience at their vigils stuck with him and partly motivated him to come to the protest.

“To Omaha people, those lives were precious,” Grant said. “We understood that when creation called you home, we won’t be able to see you physically anymore. That’s what we hold dear. So somebody’s child, somebody’s mom, somebody’s nephew got taken. And that was bad.”

State Sen. John Cavanaugh, whose district is in Omaha, attended the event as well. He said that in light of military activity in the Middle East, there is an urgency to ‘take back’ the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to create more checks on President Trump’s actions.

“The actions of the Trump administration are taking our country in a dangerous direction,” Cavanaugh said. “And we need people to stand up and express their voice and say that they want a change in this country.”

Cavanaugh is currently campaigning for Congress in Nebraska’s 2nd District.

Indivisible Nebraska, a chapter of a primary organizer Indivisible, said in a press release that it was expecting around 10 million participants nationwide Saturday, double the estimated five million who turned out in June.

Will Gentle, Indivisible Nebraska’s media coordinator, attributed the increased interest in the state to the growing number of people who have been impacted by the Trump administration’s policies.

"I think what we've really seen over time is that people found more reasons why they felt the need to get engaged, more reasons why they felt it was important for them, to start showing up to voice their support for this," Gentle said. "People who traditionally supported the president now finding out that maybe some of the promises made aren't being kept and they're finding reasons to start showing up and protesting."

An advocacy group called Home of the Brave launched a $1 million ad blitz to raise awareness of the protests, with full-page ads in more than 300 newspapers nationwide, including seven in Nebraska.

Gentle said the Omaha rally saw an official count of around 5,000 attendees in October and was expecting thousands more this Saturday.

"We are expecting to see probably our official counts for seven [thousand] or higher this time," Gentle said. "I don't know if we'll crack ten [thousand] but we are definitely prepared for it."