MONTICELLO — A crowd of several hundred people flooded the streets of Monticello Saturday afternoon, marching up and down Broadsheet with handmade signs, chants, and a single message: America will have ‘No Kings’.

The demonstration was part of a nationwide movement called No Kings, organized locally by We Are One Sullivan, a chapter of the progressive Indivisible network. Protesters gathered in the parking lot across from the county government center around 3:30 p.m. and marched through town with banners that read “The People Won’t Be Silent” and “Trump=Fascist.”

Anne Hart, a protest leader and founding member of We Are One Sullivan, said the turnout showed how deeply residents care about the direction of the country. “Our Indivisible group signed on to the No Kings movement because people are fed up,” Hart said, “We are a country that does not have a king — and we want to make sure that remains so.”

At the front of the march, a fife and drum played a revolutionary tune while bearing t-shirts adorned with the symbol of the Gadsden Flag, known for its iconic coiled snake and the libertarian phrase, “Don’t Tread on Me.”

Other attendees voiced outrage over the administration’s immigration policies, particularly its treatment of undocumented migrants and the erosion of due process.

Sandy Gansburg of Livingston Manor said this felt like one of the only actions left. 

“I don’t know what else we can do,” Gansburg said, “They can’t just go and decide they’re going to do something and do it. Migrants live here. They have rights. They deserve to go to court and speak their case.”

Her husband, Mike Rosenblum, a Vietnam veteran, offered an even stronger rebuke, “Trump promotes his own self-interest. He doesn’t care about the people of this country,” he said. “This constant stream of disinformation is tearing the country apart. We’re being distracted while our democracy is being taken from us.”

Not everyone in the crowd was politically active before the protest. Dr. Joseph Pawlick, a local resident, said he was initially there to support his wife — but felt compelled to speak up. 

“Donald Trump is such a s*** show,” Pawlick said, candidly, “We need better leadership.”

While emotions ran high, the event remained extremely peaceful, with only a handful of anti-protesters to be seen. 

“The police have been doing a great job,” one marcher said, “They gave us space and treated us with respect. That matters.” 

The march concluded around 4:30 p.m., with attendees dispersing back toward the government lot where it began.

For President Trump, Anne Hart had a parting message, “Mr. Trump — retire.”