Mohawk Valley Joins Nationwide Motion to Defend Democracy
The No Kings protests on October 18, 2025, characterize one of many largest coordinated demonstrations in opposition to the Trump administration, with thousands and thousands anticipated to rally throughout greater than 2,700 areas nationwide. Within the Mohawk Valley, Indivisible Mohawk Valley (IMV) is main native efforts in Utica, Rome, Herkimer, and Hamilton to withstand what organizers name an unprecedented assault on American democracy. This grassroots motion sends a transparent message: In America, we do not do kings.
Who’s Indivisible and What Do They Stand For?
Indivisible is a progressive grassroots group that emerged in December 2016 as a direct response to Donald Trump’s first election victory. Based by former congressional staffers Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, the motion started with a easy Google Doc titled “A Sensible Information for Resisting the Trump Agenda.”
That 23-page handbook went viral, making a nationwide community of native chapters devoted to defending democracy. Right this moment, Indivisible operates as a 501(c)(4) group with hundreds of native teams throughout each congressional district in America.
“The aim right here is to face in solidarity, to prepare, to defend our democracy and shield one another and our communities, and simply say sufficient is sufficient,” stated Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, one of many protest organizers.
The Tea Celebration Playbook—With Progressive Values
Indivisible borrowed techniques from the conservative Tea Celebration motion however utilized them to progressive objectives. The technique focuses on:
- Native constituent energy: Constructing grassroots stress by city halls and direct contact with elected officers
- Sustained activism: Transferring past one-time marches to ongoing neighborhood organizing
- Sensible resistance: Educating folks easy methods to successfully have interaction with representatives and create political change
- Non-violent motion: Committing to peaceable protest whereas sustaining persistent stress
In response to research by Harvard’s Crowd Counting Consortium, Indivisible associates make up roughly 87 p.c of anti-Trump organizations that shaped throughout the first Trump administration.
Indivisible Mohawk Valley: Native Energy for Nationwide Change
Indivisible Mohawk Valley (IMV) serves because the regional chapter coordinating resistance efforts throughout Oneida and Herkimer counties. The group proved its mobilization capability throughout the June 14 No Kings protests, when 3,000 folks attended their Utica, Rome, and Herkimer occasions mixed.
For the October 18 demonstrations, IMV has organized 4 separate rallies with particular objectives:
Utica Rally
- Location: 10 Broad Road
- Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
- Options: Audio system, musicians, and energetic chanting
- Register for Utica
Rome Rally
- Location: Fort Stanwix Nationwide Monument
- Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
- Options: Neighborhood audio system and arranged demonstrations
- Register for Rome
Herkimer Rally
- Location: Bassett Handy Care Middle
- Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Options: Night demonstration for working households
- Register for Herkimer
Hamilton Rally
- Location: Village Inexperienced
- Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Options: Madison County different location
- Register for Hamilton
Constructing a Broad Coalition
IMV does not work alone. The native rallies profit from co-sponsorship by a various coalition of organizations:
- 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Staff East
- League of Ladies Voters Utica-Rome Metropolitan Space
- NAACP Oneida County/Utica Department
- NAACP Rome Department
- Oneida County Democratic Committee
- Oneida County Democratic Ladies’s Membership
- Oneida County Delight Alliance
- Rome Democratic Committee
This coalition-building strategy displays Indivisible’s nationwide technique of making what organizers name a “massive tent of opposition.”
Why October 18 Issues
The second No Kings protest day comes at a essential second. The Trump administration has escalated actions that organizers describe as authoritarian overreach:
Nationwide Guard Deployments
Federal troops have been deployed to Democratic-run cities together with Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis—typically in opposition to the desires of native leaders. Texas Governor Greg Abbott even ordered Nationwide Guard troops to Austin particularly to observe No Kings protests, drawing sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers.
“Sending armed troopers to suppress peaceable protests is what kings and dictators do,” stated Texas Home Minority Chief Gene Wu.
Immigration Enforcement Escalation
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests have reached historic ranges, with 59,762 folks detained—the most in U.S. history. A minimum of 18 folks have died in detention services this yr, additionally a file. Raids have focused journalists, college students, and activists, typically with out due course of.
Authorities Shutdown Disaster
The federal authorities shut down in early October as Republicans refused to move a finances with out huge cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Home Speaker Mike Johnson has instructed it may grow to be the longest shutdown ever, blaming Democratic “radicals” and protest organizers for the deadlock.
Assaults on Civil Society
The Trump administration has launched investigations into organizations like Indivisible and threatened authorized motion in opposition to media retailers together with The New York Instances. Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James face prosecution threats for investigating Trump.
Historic Protest Motion Positive aspects Momentum
The June 14 No Kings protests drew between 4 and 6 million participants to over 2,100 demonstrations, making it doubtlessly the second-largest single-day protest in U.S. historical past after the 2017 Ladies’s March. In response to data journalist G. Elliott Morris, the turnout represented practically two p.c of the whole U.S. inhabitants.
The October 18 protests are anticipated to be even bigger, with greater than 2,700 occasions deliberate—450 extra areas than in June.
“In case you are cynical, you won’t perceive the utility of merely standing collectively and exhibiting the large settlement on this second round our disdain for a president who believes he’s a king,” Lisa Gilbert instructed The American Prospect.
The three.5% Rule
Protesters continuously reference analysis by political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, which discovered that when 3.5% of a inhabitants engages in sustained nonviolent resistance, authoritarian regimes usually fail. Within the U.S., that threshold could be roughly 11 million folks.
Whereas particular person protest days have not reached that quantity, the cumulative impression of sustained mobilization all through 2025 demonstrates rising opposition to Trump’s insurance policies.
Republican Backlash and Intimidation
Republican leaders have launched coordinated assaults in opposition to the No Kings motion. Home Speaker Mike Johnson labeled the protests “Hate America rallies” organized by the “pro-Hamas wing” of Democrats and “antifa folks.”
Senator Roger Marshall claimed “skilled protesters” would trigger violence, whereas Congressman Tom Emmer referred to as individuals the “terrorist wing” of the Democratic social gathering.
The Trump administration has threatened to research Indivisible and different progressive organizations, making an attempt to categorise peaceable protesters as safety threats.
Leah Greenberg responded on social media: “Republicans are blaming and smearing thousands and thousands of Individuals who’re peacefully protesting as a result of they’ve run out of excuses for their very own failures.”
Security Measures and Non-Violence Dedication
IMV and the nationwide No Kings coalition have invested closely in security coaching. Tens of hundreds of volunteers have accomplished de-escalation workshops, and every protest website may have skilled security marshals in high-visibility vests.
The motion maintains a strict dedication to nonviolent motion, with all individuals anticipated to “search to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those that disagree with our values and to behave lawfully at these occasions.”
Organizers will distribute “know your rights” playing cards with details about easy methods to reply if confronted by regulation enforcement or immigration officers.
“We’re anticipating it to be a really constructive occasion,” stated Thadd Selden, a security lead for the Sacramento protest. “Being amongst individuals who care about the identical issues and who’re captivated with it is extremely energizing.”
From Protest to Energy
Indivisible’s technique extends past single days of motion. The group has demonstrated tangible political impression:
- 2017: Helped block repeal of the Reasonably priced Care Act by pressuring average Republicans at city halls
- 2018: Contributed cash, endorsements, and volunteer time to Home races, serving to Democrats retake the chamber
- 2022: Spent $7 million highlighting “MAGA extremism” to assist Democratic candidates
- 2025: Mobilized speedy response to Trump administration actions, altering climate patterns of public opinion
“All of those establishments, all of those leaders, are sticking their finger into the wind, they usually’re attempting to see which approach the wind is blowing. And on Saturday, we modified the climate,” Ezra Levin instructed activists after the June protests.
Get Concerned
With registration numbers “skyrocketing throughout the nation,” IMV encourages everybody to take part:
- Register on your native occasion: Select from Utica, Rome, Herkimer, or Hamilton areas
- Invite associates: Share occasion info by way of electronic mail and social media
- Buy solidarity objects: Go to the IMV Store for t-shirts, baggage, and different merchandise
- Volunteer: Security marshals, artists, and organizers are nonetheless wanted
- Observe up: Be a part of IMV’s ongoing organizing efforts past October 18
“It is not too late to ask associates and share our native No Kings occasions,” organizers emphasize. “We had a complete of three,000 folks at our Utica, Rome, and Herkimer occasions on June 14th. We hope for extra, much more!”
What Comes After October 18
The No Kings motion represents greater than a single day of protest. It is a part of a sustained resistance technique designed to:
- Exhibit that Trump faces overwhelming opposition to his authoritarian actions
- Strain average Republicans and Democrats to withstand administration overreach
- Construct native organizing capability for the 2026 midterm elections
- Create networks of activated residents able to defend democracy
“The most important factor is listen, keep calm, and go to the security folks,” organizers advise. “We’re anticipating it to be a joyful, peaceable, and POWERFUL expertise for everybody who attends.”
Jamie Contreras, government vice chairman of SEIU 32BJ, captured the motion’s spirit: “On October 18 and day-after-day, we’ll present the world what democracy appears to be like like. No thrones! No clowns with crowns! No kings, simply working folks united in energy to defend our democracy.”
Democracy Requires Lively Participation
The Mohawk Valley has a proud custom of civic engagement and democratic values. On October 18, residents of Utica, Rome, Herkimer, and Hamilton will be a part of thousands and thousands of Individuals in sending a transparent message: Our democracy belongs to the folks, to not any would-be king.
Whether or not you are a longtime activist or somebody simply fed up and able to take motion, the No Kings protests supply a chance to face along with your neighborhood and defend American values.
As Indivisible organizers remind us: “In the event you anticipate someone else to come back and prevent, will probably be too late. When establishments fall, it’s as much as folks to prepare.”
The time to prepare is now. See you within the streets on October 18.
