BY: Robert Jowaiszas, Community Editor
Nanuet, NY — October 18, 2025 — More than 2,000 people gathered Saturday at the corner of Route 59 and Middletown Road in Nanuet for one of the nationwide “No Kings” protests. The movement, also known internationally as “No Dictators” or “No Tyrants,” has recently been described by organizers as a stand against as what they see as President Trump’s authoritarianism and political corruption.
Crowd along Route 59 and Middletown Road
While national media have often portrayed similar rallies as spontaneous, Saturday’s demonstration in Nanuet appeared highly coordinated. Volunteers from Indivisible Rockland (an anti-Trump, anti-Republican and anti-Lawler organization) wearing identifying vests and using walkie-talkies, guided participants, distributed pre-made signs, and managed the flow of the crowd. The event remained peaceful, but the organization and stage-like atmosphere suggested a well-planned effort rather than a grassroots uprising.
Indivisible Rockland member coordinating rally
The rally drew mostly older participants, with families and younger attendees making it appear to be multi-generational event. There was little racial diversity, but the overall tone was energetic and largely good-natured. Signs carried a mix of slogans, including “No Kings Only Queens,” “Free Palestine,” “Release Epstein Files,” “Anti ICE,” and “We Can’t Afford Lawler and Trump.” “Google Crowley and Lawler”
“We Can’t Afford Lawler and Trump”
This mix of messages can seem like a deviation from the proclaimed theme of the protest. While the event remained peaceful, when compared and contrasted against many other protests in American history, like the civil rights marches, women’s suffrage protests and anti-nuclear campaigns which were built around clear objectives, disciplined messaging, and tangible goals. Participants knew what they were fighting for: passing the Voting Rights Act, winning the right to vote for women, or opposing nuclear weapons and power plants. These rallies moved history. The mix of theatrical volunteers, provocative statements, unusual merchandise, and fragmented messaging made the rally appear to be less like a grassroots protest and more like a carefully staged performance designed to be seen and shared, rather than a movement with a unified cause or policy goal.
Women’s unified message protesting for the right to vote
Others commented that the theatrical atmosphere extended to merchandise being worn by some women like, red hats labeled “Made in Vagina”, emphasizing what they called, the attention-grabbing, performative nature of the rally.
Woman wearing “Made in Vagina” hat
Across the street, a small group of pro-Trump supporters waved American flags but did not engage in confrontation. The rally concluded without incident, and police reported no arrests.
Many elderly participants struggled with the signs, some even holding them upside down. A familiar face from prior Lawler town halls — previously seen carrying Nazi imagery — appeared restrained, though a photo shows her appearing frustrated with the presence of the Clarkstown Police. (talking with police pic)
Interviews captured the unusual mix of voices and people refused to give their last name. When interviewed why he was there John said, “I’m anti-fascist My uncle was in Normandy and fought Fascist.” When asked about the militant Antifa group he insisted: “There is no Antifa, that’s a myth. If there was, I’d be in it. Anti-fascism is an American value.”
Another participant Alyson, who brought her family, said: “I think it’s time. There’s a constitutional crisis. He uses money for the military to invade peaceful cities.”
An elderly woman, Tina overhearing others speaking near her jumped in and recalled her decades of activism: “I was here 60 years ago! I’m a hippie! The people rule supreme! I’m a solo act. It’s important to bring No More Fascist Schools!” adding I’m Antifa! I’m Antifa!
A mother with preschool aged children nearby, named Samantha, added, “I don’t want only Christian values in school. The Holocaust is coming. Wait, you’ll see.”
For local observers, today’s Nanuet rally, in comparison, was a spectacle — colorful, loud, and theatrical — but without a clear cause to unify participants. It reminded them that not all protests labeled “organic” are truly grassroots; some are staged performances, designed to be witnessed, photographed, and amplified, rather than to change policy or advance a coherent agenda.