No Kings Protests Sweep NJ Amid Movement Against Trump Policies

In New Jersey, thousands of protestors took to the streets on Saturday to join the nationwide No Kings demonstrations, rallying against the Trump administration’s policies and calling for democracy and civil rights.

Cities such as Jersey City, Newark, Ocean City, Atlantic City, Princeton, Cape May Court House, Galloway Township, Glassboro, Rutherford, Pine Hill and Vineland, took part in the second wave of the demonstrations.

These local actions were part of a broader movement that spanned over 2,500 cities across the U.S. amid a government shutdown entering its third week. National Guard troops deployed to several U.S. cities and immigration agents advancing President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.  Organizers who spoke to New Jersey Urban News characterized Saturday’s civil convocation as the “largest single-day action” since the beginning of Trump’s first term.

“What began in June as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy,” according to the No Kings site, a coalition intended to go up against “authoritarian power grabs.”

The rally in Jersey City was organized by the Knitty Gritty JC Social Club, a women-led grassroots organization advocating for education in civic engagement. 

Stephanie Campos, co-chair of the Actions Committee of Knitty Gritty, spoke of the “separation of families” undertaken by ICE immigration officers in recent weeks. She shared the story of an 11-year-old waiting six hours to visit her father at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, where both parents had been deported.

“There is no support from government agencies,” she said, adding that last month, the 16-teen-year old brother from the family called her stating they had received an eviction notice, “he was desperately looking for ways to raise money to keep his family housed, this is just one story out of many.”

Many local leaders who spoke at the Garden State rallies pointed to a wider campaign of dissent towards the Trump administration’s efforts to crackdown on immigrants and the rule of law. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D) warned the Jersey City crowd that Congress was being used to “dismantle our democracy.”

“These are the times that we live in, and we have to do our part,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Newark, a rally hosted by the People’s Organization for Progress and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee drew support from numerous groups including American Postal Workers NY Metro Union Local 10, Justice for Drew Coalition, 350 NJ-Rockland, the Greater Newark Chapter of the National Action Network, Justice & Unity Campaign, and the New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign.

“The contradictions that exist in our democracy are real. You cannot arrest people and throw them off the air, or attack comedians, journalists, and advocates just because you disagree with them,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) addressing the crowd near the Historic Essex County Court House.

DeWaun Norwood of the ACLU New Jersey spoke out against the administration’s attacks on “constitutional freedoms,” including targeting political opponents and deploying federal agents. 

“We gather today under the resolve that while our democracy is flawed and imperfect, it is worth defending. In times like these, dissent is not just patriotic, it is our duty,” he said.

Attendee Nathan Duguid warned that “history should not repeat itself,” pointing to an “education crisis” spurred by restrictions on teaching materials related to race, racism, and LGBT issues.

“The more you read the more truth you seek, and when I read I see that what is happening now, is not new,” Duguid said.

Deborah Gregory, president of Newark’s NAACP chapter, who marched toward City Hall, shared, “This march is showing the power of our collective strength and making sure you vote in these elections. Our country is standing up to democracy. This is what power looks like when a community comes together against authoritarianism.”