STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A steady stream of rain on Saturday afternoon did not deter a crowd of more than 200 from attending a “No Kings Day” rally and march on Staten Island, a local effort tied to nationwide protests planned on the same day of President Donald Trump’s military parade.
The event was hosted by Mike DeCillis, a former Democratic candidate for New York’s 11th Congressional District, encompassing Staten Island and a portion of South Brooklyn.
For the site of the protest, the group chose a spot across the street from the Castleton Corners district office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, who has represented the district since 2021 and has been aligned with Trump.
DeCillis said, “We’re here today basically to express not just a disappointment, but our absolute ridiculous frustration with a president who wants to just be the only branch of government. He is ignoring the courts, bypassing Congress, and issuing edicts and executive orders instead of passing laws, and right now, he’s occupying one of the cities in the United States with the military,” he said referring to Los Angeles, where tension over migrant policies and ICE roundups has boiled over.
A large contingent of police officers was on hand at Saturday’s rally to keep attendees safe and maintain order. Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, Staten Island’s Borough Commander, was present with Deputy Chief Terence Hurson.
Officers from the NYPD’s Legal Bureau were present, and a police truck could be seen delivering additional barricades as the crowd grew.
“There are a lot of people here today who may disagree on, let’s say, what our tax policy should be, but they do agree that there’s absolute destruction of our Constitutional freedoms, our rights and our ability to have a government that functions where we can work out our differences in a legislature, as opposed to having marines starting to arrest people on the street because you don’t like their speech,” added DeCillis.
Cliff Hagen, a Democratic candidate for the City Council’s 51st District general election, was present and said, “Today’s marches across the country, especially the one here on Staten Island, were examples of civil, patriotic discourse and protest. Peaceful demonstration and public dissent are as American as the flag on Flag Day.”
Hagen added, “Protecting our rights of peaceful demonstration and public dissent are why we created our US Army 250 years ago. Today was a perfect day for the American tradition of peaceful protests in the towns and cities across the country.”
Cars passing the rally on Victory Boulevard, who could be seen blowing their horns to support the protestors, received joyous cheers. In contrast, those who supported Trump were met with boisterous disapproval.
Those gathered at the rally marched along Victory Boulevard to Clove Road, led by Cletus Blackman Gay of Local 1199 SEIU.
The march ended peacefully shortly before 3 p.m., and there were no arrests or disturbances.
Across the country, organizers of the“No Kings” demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Governors across the U.S. had urged calm and vowed no tolerance for violence, while some mobilized the National Guard ahead of marchers gathering. Confrontations were isolated.
Huge, boisterous crowds marched in New York, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, some behind “no kings” banners.
Associated Press material was used in this report.