Chants against President Donald Trump’s administration echoed through Old Town Fort Collins on Saturday, Oct. 18, as thousands marched in the city’s second No Kings protest, joining in a nationwide movement of over 7 million people condemning a series of federal actions that many view as an erosion of democratic norms.

The rally, organized by Indivisible NOCO, exceeded June’s No Kings turnout by a couple thousand, with estimates ranging from 10,000 to 14,000 participants. Fort Collins Police Services reported no criminal activity or significant counterprotests.

Demonstrators gathered at Civic Center Park around 9 a.m. to chat with tabling activist groups and listen to about an hour of speeches delivered by state and local representatives, including U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, state Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, Larimer County Commissioner Kristin Stephens and Colorado District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin, among others.

“In the face of attacks on our safety and attacks on our freedom, when it is at the absolute most difficult to keep reading the news and (to) keep speaking out and to keep marching, that is when it is the absolute most important,” McLaughlin said in his speech. “I know we are up to the challenge.”

Stephens detailed to the crowd how federal policy has already impacted the Fort Collins community, especially through cuts to Colorado State University and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“This administration has threatened universities, including CSU, and local governments who don’t conform to their agenda and who dare to stand up for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Stephens said in her speech. “As of this week, the federal government announced that, because of the shutdown, they will not be giving food benefits to our residents as of November. What that looks like is 36,000 people in our community will not get food benefits in our community in November. This is unacceptable.”

The march began around 10 a.m. as protesters moved peacefully through Old Town, chanting while passing drivers honked in support. A majority of demonstrators were holding signs with slogans like, “Hey Trump, Hands Off,” and, “No Kings in America Since 1776,” while reciting chants lik,e “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”

At the height of the march, the 1.5-mile loop was nearly filled with participants spanning the entire protest route. The event lasted a little over an hour before dispersing ahead of its scheduled two-hour end.

“It’s important for people to know that they are not alone in their concern or distress for what we see happening in our country right now,” said James Scott, an Indivisible NOCO event organizer. “Events like this give people a chance to be with like-minded people and show to each other — show to the community — that we’re here and that we see what’s going on; we’re going to do our best to change it.”

Karrin Vasby Anderson, a professor of communication studies and an executive board member of the American Association of University Professors at CSU, pointed to Trump’s policies toward higher education as a concerning example of authoritarianism. Most recently, the Trump administration sent a letter to a handful of universities promising them priority funding if they agree to Trump’s political agenda, including adherence to strict definitions of gender.

“Defunding, censoring and seeking to control universities is dangerous because one of the main responsibilities of a university is to equip people with the skills needed to have a healthy democracy and to recognize and resist demagogues when they arise,” Anderson wrote in an email.

Anderson pointed to the No Kings protest as an example of meaningful democratic resistance, adding that such a large turnout helps prevent people from feeling helpless.

“Authoritarianism works by making people feel like it is inevitable — like they lack the power to stop what is happening,” Anderson said. “Public demonstrations challenge that feeling of inevitability and isolation. They also can embolden regular citizens and elected officials to challenge authoritarianism in other ways in their community.”

Janet Schultz, co-leader of Unite and Rise 8.5, a subset of the League of Women Voters, said “No Kings II” felt more serious than the June rally, given the continued escalation of federal action over the past few months.

“There was a sense of more somberness about this rally of people being a little more intense and urgent about what’s going to happen if we don’t get even more involved,” Schultz said. “That first No Kings rally had sort of an excitement and an energy. But, you know, many months later — and some of the speakers expressed this — it’s hard to keep up your sort of hopeful feeling that we can actually make a difference.”

Monica, a long-time Indivisible NOCO leader who asked that her last name be anonymous, framed the march as a brave display of patriotism, contrasting with many Trump allies who called the movement a “hate America rally.”

“People are mad and they’re scared, but they also wanted to show that we are not anti-American,” Monica said. “It was a display of patriotism at its best.”

In addition to resistance and patriotism, the Fort Collins march centered on community outreach and mutual aid, with around 1,275 pounds of food and over $500 donated to the Food Bank for Larimer County, as confirmed by James Scott.

“Further action doesn’t have to be pushing back against authoritarianism all the time,” Monica said. “It can be local action, donating to food banks, volunteering for candidate campaigns (and) working with marginalized communities; it can be anything. But I think (marching) energizes people to become more part of the community that they’re in.”

The rally’s message of unity drew support from people across ideological lines, but participants differed on what meaningful resistance should look like. For some, the day’s demonstrations were a first step; for others, it signaled the need for deeper structural change.

“We want to see systemic change; we want to see radical change; we are not OK with little crumbs here and there given to us by the government,” said Kemal Perdana, a member of CSU’s Students for Justice in Palestine. “We want the systems of oppression themselves to be dismantled. We want the system to change. We are not OK with maintaining the status quo.”

Sophia Johnson, an attendee and CSU student, said the solidarity was refreshing, but she wished the movement had a more direct demand.

“Everyone’s yelling ‘no kings,’ but no one’s talking about how we get to remove him from office,” Johnson said. “Why isn’t that a demand? If we don’t want him in office, then why isn’t our demand for impeachment?”

Indivisible NOCO and other community organizations said Saturday’s protest was just one promising step in the fight against authoritarianism.

“We understand that the path is not short or easy to where we want to go,” Scott said. “But events like today, getting in the street with so many people and seeing that these thousands of people are willing to burn a perfectly good fall Saturday morning to come out here and show their displeasure with what’s going on; that’s a powerful experience. It was powerful. It was moving for me, and I think it was moving for a lot of people who were there.”