(Photo by: Vaughn Wheat)

Over the weekend, JCCC was one of the many sites of the “No Kings” protests taking place nationwide. The lawn on the corner of College Boulevard and Quivira welcomed about 6,000 protesters for the rally and protest, hosted by “Boots on the Ground Midwest.” The loud honking of car horns and shouts from roadside supporters, along with classic hits playing over the speakers, could be heard around the entire campus lawn.

“Unity. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate each other, our stories,” local poet Huascar Medina said.

Emotions were heightened, and when asking speakers about the unity and community they saw at the protest, their answers reflected the mood of the day.

“This is getting me emotional, because it’s crazy to see this many people… I’m blown away, and it makes you feel not as alone as Donald Trump wants us to feel,” Jae Moyer, a local queer activist said.

The current state of immigration in America was spoken about by many speakers and nonprofits. Most were handing out “Know Your Rights” cards. Nubia, a community organizer for the KCMO Dream Alliance, was both a speaker and had a table set up for the Dream Alliance. The Dream Alliance works to help immigrants with education, college tuition, and more.

“I don’t have any words because the intensity I felt inside of my heart was that I’m not alone,” Nubia said.

Nubia hopes that people will go out to vote and “step up.”

Many local nonprofit organizations like Moms Demand Action, ACLU, Mainstream Coalition, KC/MO Dream Alliance, Veterans for Peace, Little Lobbyists, and more were set up around the event space with informational packets and volunteer calls.

“Honestly, it made me cry pulling up today because, you know, everything you do kind of feels like you’re in a vacuum sometimes,” Laura Robesos, a parent ambassador for Little Lobbyists said. “So to see everybody in [the] community together gives me a lot of hope.”

The cloudy day, nor the reminder of the police snipers on the roof, could bring the crowd down, many of whom were dressed in inflatable costumes and carrying large signs. The protest was peaceful and had no signs of threats on the lawn, though some shouted criticism while driving by the roadside protest.

“Some joy, I think we need some joy right now–people to be seen, to be heard, and for us to not feel alone at this moment, because I think a lot of people are feeling really alone,” Medina said.

The overall hope and message of the day seemed the same for most attendees. They are fighting against what attendees called a “dictatorship,” building community, and they want people to be educated about our country, and about their rights. Neely Holland, a first-time protester, shared what community and No Kings means to her.

“We don’t yield to a higher power… They’re here to represent us, not the other way around… This is actually the first protest I’ve ever been to, so this is kind of new to me, but it means unity. Like, we’re all together,” Holland said.

The No Kings protests began this year by the organization “50501.” They were founded in Feb. 2025, after a meme was posted to Reddit. They stand for “50 protests, 50 states, one movement”.

Boots on the Ground Midwest is a local Johnson County organization, founded by Nancy Mays and Martha Lawrence. They work to provide educational resources, support nonprofits, and help to empower people to share their voices.