People in inflatable bird costumes join thousands as they gather at The Commons in downtown Minneapolis for the No Kings day rally Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, protesting what many see as overreaches of power by the Trump administration. (Photo by Nicole Neri/The Minnesota Reformer)
Minnesotans by the tens of thousands, from International Falls to Albert Lea, peacefully rallied for No Kings day this past weekend to protest authoritarianism. I was in my hometown of Minneapolis, where we heard from U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and other local organizers with immigrant rights and civil liberties groups fighting for the very American idea that we are a fabric, a community, that welcomes all stripes of many colors.
While the president was posting AI videos of himself wearing a crown and attacking protesters, I was reflecting on the precarious moment we are in and the importance of protesting en masse…