Truck Fump, Again

See that picture above? That was the New York Times’s dominant panoramic photo today from the national No Kings protests. People fill the frame, 100 per cent. The most poignant and powerful part of that photo is that it was taken not in New York, but in Boise, Idaho.

Below is the most dominant panoramic picture from the protests in The Washington Post, now largely edited from the top by Trump apologists. It’s of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington. People fill approximately eight percent of the frame. Yes, that indistinguishable ribbon of color is people — I zoomed way in, to check. The bridge is wide — almost 90 feet — but at that distance, overwhelmed by the landscape, it looks like a towpath.

None of the photographs in The Post were by Post photographers — all were from wire services — presumably because The Post has no photographers left.

The Post’s front-line reporters were working hard. The local coverage was strong. The Post’s high-echelon editors are working hard, too, but not necessarily for us.

The rest of this will be words, yours, sent to me, from the protests.

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Good crowd -- I’d guess 2,500 or so -- in Noblesville, Indiana, a usually red area. Best sign I saw said, “I pray that ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will be the name of Trump’s cellmate in prison.”

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People gathered on an abandoned railroad bridge, now a bike trail, over a major road connecting Danvers and Peabody, MA. Many also stood along both sides of the road below. Many drivers honked passing by and extending one finger, a thumb, or other, assuming this reflected whether they were pro or con the demonstration. My favorite sign was, “Elect a clown; expect a circus.” – Larry Carnahan

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In our little town of Elk Rapids, MI., someone dutifully went about, pre-march, and taped cardboard over the "PAR" part of every NO PARKING sign in town. — Graydon De Camp

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I was at the No Kings protest in tiny Neptune Beach, Florida this morning. Excellent turnout - we keep getting bigger. Marie Antoinette even showed up (wish I could attach a photo.) The saddest thing, though: I forgot to put on my guillotine earrings. I’m so disappointed in myself. – Karen Bock-Losee

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I am still surprised at the number of references to storming the Bastille are made on No Kings Day. (One sign: “They want 1939 Germany? Give them 1789 France.”) Are people really unaware of what happened after the overthrow of the French Aristocracy? Are they hoping for another Reign of Terror? — Robert

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Lots of clever, funny signs but I nearly cried when I saw a woman holding just a large photo of Liam the sweet little boy with the winter hat who got arrested in Minnesota. My laughter at the signs turned to sorrow and anger at how far we have fallen as a nation.

The march from Arlington Circle, over the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, was scheduled to start at 10:00. The closest Metro stop is Arlington Cemetery, on the Blue line. I arrived at about 9:15, in the first car. The doors opened, I got out onto the sidewalk, and... could not move. People were shoulder to shoulder and the crowd was not moving at all. Being too tall, I could see all the way to the escalators, and nobody was moving anywhere. Even though the trains came only every 11 minutes, the passenger volume had exceeded the capacity of the fare turnstiles long enough that the next train wouldn’t be able to discharge its passengers at all. The station managers finally just opened the turnstiles and the logjam cleared. I guess I got a free ride for my trouble.

Gary Crockett

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Great turnout in Annapolis today. One lady stopped in front of Tesla cars and gave the drivers the finger. She’s on our side but maybe not the best way to express the sentiment.

From Gene: Yeah, slippery slope. A few of my friends were aghast when I wrote that I had no problem with. people leaving sealed plastic bags of dog poo on the hoods of Cybertrucks. It’s not vandalism, I argued, and directed more to get the attention of the public at large — who will pass by and laugh at Elon Musk, than to the individual owner — who is just momentarily discommoded and, hopefully, mildly and justifiably chagrined. I still feel that way, but just whisper it. Shh.

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More counter protesting than at past No Kings. Including the car that passed with an “OK Boomer” sign. But best of all, a group of MAGA supporters who marched around yelling various MAGA slogans, including “Make Trump Strong Again” - and clearly had no idea they were calling their dear leader weak. — Lynn O’Connell

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My 91 y.o. mother-in-law lives in Maine. She has lived through many administrations. Sixteen, if I’m counting accurately. Never has she been motivated to go out in public to voice her serious disapproval of one of those presidents (not that she didn’t seriously disapprove of or disagree with their policies or actions). But with all she has experienced in her many years on this planet and as a citizen of this country, she has learned many valuable lessons. Including the very real and perilous threat posed by fascist leaders. She has marched in at least two “No Kings” protests (yesterday in very cold Yarmouth, ME), holding her walker with one hand, and her sign (1773 | NO KINGS! | 2026) with the other.

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“Hundreds of enthusiastic protesters lining half a mile of Rockville Pike between Tuckerman Lane and Strathmore Avenue. MANY baby boomers, some with canes and walkers. Millennials with small children. Dogs of all sizes with people of all ages. As always, creative signs demonstrating mordant wit. My fave: “Alexa, change the president.” — Susan Grodsky

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I volunteered as a marshal in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the rally was well attended an enthusiastic. When a big pickup truck driven by a little dick, towing a huge, Trump-festooned boat was stopped in traffic, two overly enthusiastic male rally goers confronted the driver, one in the front, the other on the side, both offering a double-fisted single figure salute, and as a 70 year old retired guy who spent a career managing classrooms of hormone-raging adolescents, I had to flash back with: Dudes! I feel you, but get your !@#$% asses back on the sidewalk! Mission accomplished. It's nice to know that I still got it. — Dave M.

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Went to our demonstration in Anchorage, all very civilized, no threat from police, etc. At the conclusion of the talks and songs, we all marched a few blocks to the Park Strip, a large, open piece of land bordered by city streets, where the organizers had us all stand in lines to spell out "No Ice" and "Fuck Ice" etc. as we stood in the snow. It was photographed by drones and they said they're sending photos to Rachel Maddow and Steven Colbert, among others. Very large turnout, largest yet of all that we've been to, very encouraging from a pretty red state.

The whole family went to a protest today. It was small, but probably as much as some of us were prepared to handle. We stood on both sides of the road, the crowd mostly holding up signs and waving at cars going by. Traffic was in one direction here; drivers glad to see us slowed down and honked; those less enthused sped up to get past the gantlet, which still worked out because the city had recently set up a temporary speed camera just down the block.

I knew that though modest, it was a proper protest when the inflatable pink unicorn showed up. In general, this one let people know that even though we’re not in a large urban area, and there are people of different political stripes here, we are not alone in seeing how wrong things are. It gives hope. It was an event of joy - joy that the America we want to live in, though under threat, is not dead so long as people still believe in it. — Sam Mertens

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Because I was going from a No Kings protest to work a volunteer shift at a Holocaust museum, I thought a sign I saw portraying Trump as “EPIC FUHRER” in a mushroom cloud exploding out of his head was coincidentally appropriate.

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Three year old twins Julie and Robby with chocolate ice cream cones and “We the People” tee shirts. “ Why are they here? Julie: “...mocracy.” What does that mean? Robby: “Ice cream.”

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I was in Norristown with 1,000 and Congresswoman Madeline Dean. I think we felt less tension than in the first two events. We‘re more confident, more sure of the fight, not 100% confident, much work left and hoping to be 51% confident. I think “they’ve” changed more. They're less strident. They lose every court battle. They operate only under the fragile power of the scared minority in Congress and the commander-in-thief (I just made that up).

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A man came out of his house when he saw my sign (Grandmas For Grace and Truth, No kings, no secret police, no concentration camps, no illegal ward) because he wanted to take a photo to send to his mom. Made me feel good.

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There was a parade in front of Fort McNair where Noem, Rubio, and Miller have helped themselves to commandant housing. The people in the parade were earnest but very peaceful. It was moving. They had chalk and wrote messages on the street and sidewalks. DC fire trucks moved in immediately afterwards and washed all the messages away.

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That’s it.

No, wait. I shouldn’t end on that bleak note. Here’s an uplifting motorcycle jacket that Rachel and I saw at a protest yesterday in Baltimore:

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