Photos: Warrensburg No Kings Day rally draws 600 demonstrators

An estimated 600 demonstrators gathered at the Floyd Bennett Bandstand in the center of Warrensburg Saturday afternoon for a No Kings Day rally, one of nearly 2,000 held throughout the nation on June 14. The Warrensburg rally was organized by the ADK/Saratoga and Blue Line branches of Indivisible, a movement started in 2016 to resist President Trump’s agenda.

Indivisible ADK/Saratoga Public Relations Officer Cheryl McGrattan says that at the 4 p.m. start, a little more than 300 had registered for the event. By 4:30, an official with the organization who had been trained in “head counting” determined the crowd carrying signs had grown to about 600.

The crowd chanted “No Kings” as cars drove past on Main Street. Many drivers honked their horns and signaled approval of the message with a thumbs-up. Other chants included “No kings, no clowns, we the people will not back down” and a call and response chant, “Tell me what democracy looks like – This is what democracy looks like.”

Musicians set up behind the bandstand and played a mixed songbook of Americana and contemporary pop tunes such as Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”

Demonstrators carried signs reflecting the rally theme, “No Kings,” and signs protesting cuts to veterans’ benefits, cuts to Medicaid, and the treatment of immigrants. Although more than 63 percent of Warrensburg voters supported President Trump in the 2024 election, the only counterdemonstrations appeared to be three pickup trucks and a minivan outfitted with Trump flags circling the streets around the bandstand during the hour-and-a-half-long rally.

The No Kings rally organizers set up a medic tent on the site and offered attendees bottled water. Safety officers, trained by the organization, could be identified by their fluorescent yellow vests. They patrolled the crowd, reminding demonstrators to stay out of the street and, as requested by Warrensburg Town officials, keep off the grass in Floyd Bennett Park.