WASHINGTON – Fourteen protests are set to take place across Oklahoma on Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration and a planned military parade, joining hundreds of similar rallies nationwide as part of the ‘No Kings’ movement.
Coinciding with Trump’s birthday, the ‘No Kings’ organization describes the multi-million dollar parade for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary as a “made-for-TV display of dominance” designed to flatter Trump and create an illusion of strength.
“But real power isn’t staged in Washington,” a statement on the No Kings website reads. “It rises up everywhere else. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.”
The increasing number of protests nationally is being driven in part by Christy Walton, the widow of one of the Walmart founder’s sons, who took out a full-page ad in national newspapers on Sunday supporting a call for the protests. In the ad she called for people to participate in the demonstrations around the country this weekend, known as the “No Kings” protests, and “defend against aggression by dictators.”
As Trump supporters ramped up calls for a boycott of Walmart, the Bentonville, Ark. based company attempted to fend off the reaction.
“The advertisements from Christy Walton are in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart,” a Walmart spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal. Walton didn’t alert or coordinate with the company before running the ads, the Journal reported.
Of the roughly 2,000 ‘No Kings’ protests, 14 are scheduled to take place in Oklahoma, running from the morning until mid-afternoon, depending on location. Events are planned for:
- Oklahoma City
- Guthrie
- Tulsa (3 separate events)
- Lawton
- Bartlesville
- Durant
- Ponca City
- Ada
- Tahlequah
- Idabel
- McAlester
- Ardmore
Jake Kelly, a student at the University of Oklahoma, plans to attend the ‘No Kings’ protest in Oklahoma City. Since President Trump took office, Kelly said he has witnessed events he “never would have imagined would happen in America,” saying Trump has consistently defied court orders and undermined the nation’s system of checks and balances.
“America has not been ruled under a king since the 1700s, and I think we all intend to keep it that way,” Kelly said. “It is our right to be able to speak out against the government when they no longer adequately address the issues that matter to us.”
With Oklahoma being one of only two states where every county voted for Trump in 2024, Kelly says it is important for upset Oklahomans to speak out.
“Sometimes you may think that you are alone and that no one across the aisle agrees with you,” Kelly said. “The whole country is going to show up on Saturday, and I believe it could be the start of something amazing.”
Following the recent riots in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement, Governor Kevin Stitt has warned that violent demonstrations will be met with force, stressing that Oklahoma “won’t tolerate any threats to our communities, citizens, property owners, or law enforcement.”
“We’re not messing around in Oklahoma,” Stitt posted on X. “Violent protestors and rioters will be met with zero tolerance.”
Other states are implementing more extensive measures ahead of the demonstration. In response to the scheduled protests, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott is planning to preemptively deploy the Texas National Guard “to protect innocent Texans and property.”
According to their website, the ‘No Kings’ organization states that all events “adhere to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety.”
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
