POCATELLO – Multiple communities in eastern Idaho will join the rest of the nation to protest on the president’s birthday.
There will be 14 different
“No Kings”
protests held across Idaho on Saturday as part of a nationwide day of protest that will occur on the same day as a military parade in Washington D.C. Three of these protests will take place in eastern Idaho, including one in Pocatello,
one in Idaho Falls
and
one in Driggs
.
“Protesting was at the foundation of our country when we were protesting against the king,” said Elmer Martinez, an organizer with
Southeast Idaho Citizens for Democracy
, which has been organizing Pocatello’s national day of protest events.
RELATED | About 1,000 people attend ‘Hands Off!’ rally in Pocatello
The military parade will be the last day of a
week-long celebration
of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday on June 14, which coincides with the birthday of President Donald Trump. The
“No Kings Host Toolkit”
says that the president’s intention in holding this parade is to “solidify his image as a strongman.”
“Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption,” the toolkit says.
There have been multiple protests held in eastern Idaho on other national days of protest this year. All three cities saw “Hands Off!” protests on April 5, as well as protests on International Workers Day, otherwise known as May Day, on May 1.
According to a graphic distributed by
Idaho 50501
— a grassroots political movement that stands for “50 states, 50 protests, 1 day” — the first No Kings protest will start in Driggs at 10 a.m. at the intersection of East Little Avenue and North Main Street. The second will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Pocatello at Caldwell Park. The protest in Idaho Falls will take place on the Broadway Bridge at 4 p.m.
RELATED | Several hundred protesters rally ‘to keep the action going’ in Pocatello
RELATED | GALLERY: Protestors and counter-protestors gather for “Hands Off!” in Idaho Falls
Pocatello’s protest will start at the park before protestors march to the intersection of South 5th Avenue and East Center Street, right outside the Bannock County Courthouse. Idaho Fall’s protest will meet and gather on both sides of the Broadway Bridge.
While EastIdahoNews.com was not able to reach the organizers for the protest in Driggs, both organizers in Pocatello and Idaho Falls stressed that they would take safety precautions to protect protesters, and that they wouldn’t participate in any violence that may occur.
“We are to not engage with counter protesters. They have been violent to us, and we just want to make sure that everyone knows that we’re not a part of the violence,” said Miranda Armenta, the local protest organizer in Idaho Falls, who organizes alongside Idaho 50501. “If any destruction happens, or any fights, we all want to sit down. Everyone sit down and record the altercation.”
“If we get people who want to engage, and yell at us and scream at us and try to create tension, I’m asking people to not buy into it, to not engage, to find positive ways to support the people that are standing next to them,” Martinez added.
Both Martinez and Armenta want the protests to be welcoming environments for people to make their voices heard.
“We’ve always made the effort to welcome Republicans, Democrats, independents — anybody,” Martinez said. “Even if they supported the current administration, but now they think that it’s gone way too far and extreme in different directions, they are more than welcome in our effort.”
“I’ve been going to rallies and protests since the 2016 administration, and I have found so many new friends, and it’s just a really big community building opportunity,” Armenta said. “I would suggest you stop by. I’ll make sure you have someone to be with, and I’ll just make sure that everyone is welcoming, like they always are.”
Both organizers feel it’s important for everyone driving by to see a crowd of people protesting the Trump administration.
“You’re not alone,” Martinez said, speaking to those who may agree with them but haven’t joined a protest. “There are other people that are thinking this way you are. If they’re willing to get out there, put their face out there, make a sign and stand by their beliefs, it lets other people know that it’s okay.”
And speaking to those who support the Trump administration, Armenta says “They’re not the majority that they think they are.”
“A king is not what a majority of the United States wants. So I just want to show them that we’re gathering, we’re organizing, we’re trying to make a better future for ourselves,” Armenta said.
