‘No Kings’ protest on Whidbey draws huge turnout

Millions around the nation turned out for “No Kings” rallies on Saturday in protest of the current presidential administration.

On Whidbey, the largest and most visible demonstration took place in Coupeville, at the intersection of Highway 20 and Main Street. Organizers of the event estimated somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people were in attendance.

A coalition of organizations Indivisible Whidbey, SOS (Solidarity over Supremacy) Whidbey and the League of Women Voters of Whidbey Island formed to coordinate the event, which ran the morning of June 14.

In response to safety concerns, a group of “peacekeepers” kept the crowd from lingering on the pedestrian overpass or spilling over into the roadway.

“The event was uneventful, which I was happy about,” Amy Bullis of Coupeville said. “There was no drama, no hate speech, nobody was brawling.”

As one of the peacekeepers, Bullis made sure the pathways stayed clear for passersby. People of all ages attended the protest.

“I had to stop a woman from jaywalking with her walker,” she said with a laugh.

Reactions to protestors were mostly positive; Bullis recalled seeing one pickup truck with tinted windows that drove by numerous times, revving its engine.

Sonja Brisson, another peacekeeper from Greenbank, said she noticed that out of all the people in the cars that went by, maybe two or three threw a “nasty finger” at the demonstrators. Everyone else was honking or waving.

“It was a very joyful event, I have to say,” she said.

Brisson reported that attendance on Saturday far surpassed the April 5 “Hands Off” rally held outside of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Oak Harbor. Aerial drone shots show the immensity of protestors along the highway, with the line stretching from just beyond the WhidbeyHealth campus to past the parking lot for Coupeville Elementary School.

She added that everybody came prepared to be happy to offset the grim things they were protesting in the first place. Signs carried a variety of messages related to Social Security, the Constitution, Medicaid, immigration and veterans’ services, among many other things.

Gabbi Korrow, a Langley resident and peacekeeper with SOS Whidbey, reported seeing so many neighbors, friends, coworkers and acquaintances partake in the peaceful demonstration, including parents with young kids. She felt it is incredible to be part of something so big.

“I feel like there’s a sense of being tapped into that energy, that this is happening in Coupeville, that this is also happening in almost every city across the country right now,” she said.

John Auburn, owner of the Whidbey Island Bagel Factory, showed up to the protest dressed as a king.

“I like proving my points,” he said.

Like many others, attending the rally gave him hope and a sense that he’s not alone.

South Whidbey resident Anne Hurley happens to share a birthday with President Donald Trump, who celebrated this year with a military parade in his honor.

“It was such a good day, it was so uplifting,” Hurley said of Saturday. Her hands were full carrying a large American flag around the protest in Coupeville.

When the No Kings rally drew to a close shortly before noon, many took the opportunity to keep the party going by attending the nearby Coupeville Pride Parade.

“It’s very community-building, that’s what I was sensing,” Bullis said. “I think people stay holed up in their houses and this has brought them out. Even if you didn’t know the person standing next to you, you were on the same page.”

Downtown Langley had its own much smaller No Kings rally that day, with at least 400 in attendance. Organizers of the Coupeville event said they had also heard smaller groups met up at the Bayview park and ride and in Oak Harbor to protest.

This sign encouraged respect for the Constitution.

Many signs addressed monarchs.

Photos by David Welton Signs carried a variety of messages related to Social Security, the Constitution, Medicaid, immigration and veterans’ services, among many other things.