Last Saturday was something called “No King’s Day,” a nationwide protest brought to you by those who have convinced themselves that the White House is currently occupied by a man who would be king.

He must be a very benevolent monarch, since he allowed the hundreds of protests against him last weekend to go on unhindered.

Deep down, even the protestors know the whole “king” thing is nonsense – just a slightly less offensive label than “dictator” or “Hitler.” But it’s fun to play pretend, and they hope to fool a few gullible people with their hysterical histrionics.

It’s not working, and it’s probably having the opposite effect, especially in Wakefield, where lately every Saturday is No Kings Day, as varying numbers of demonstrators crowd the sidewalks at Main, Water and West Water streets.

Normal people, forced to weave their way through the gauntlet as they try to get their Saturday morning errands done, don’t quite grasp what these demonstrators claim to be railing against. So, they nod politely and long for the days when buying burgers at Farmland for a weekend cookout or purchasing supplies from Hart’s for a home improvement project didn’t come with an unwelcome political harangue.

This assumes that there are any parking spaces left for retail customers after the hundreds of protestors descend on the Square. How many times will local shoppers circle the block before deciding that Market Basket or Home Depot is a more appealing option?

But the profits of a few capitalist shopkeepers are of little concern to the protesters when Our Democracy is at stake.

If their weekly presence impeding pedestrian travel and blocking vehicle sightlines isn’t enough to curb your enthusiasm for the cause, their signs spell out their attitude toward anyone who does not share their obsessive contempt.

The signs and messaging were virtually interchangeable across the highly coordinated, 2,000-plus “No Kings” protests staged nationwide last Saturday.

“Rejecting kings since 1776,” read a number of handmade placards. “We have a constitution, not a king,” was another ubiquitous message. Other signs featured poetic messaging like “Defrost ICE” and “Make America Think Again.”

But one sign seemed emblematic of the whole No Kings movement.

“NOT PAID TO BE HERE,” the sign proclaimed, “I HATE YOU FOR FREE.”

Thanks for the confirmation.
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[This column originally appeared in the June 19, 2025 Wakefield Daily Item.]