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Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – They don’t want federal ICE agents knocking on their doors, they want those detained for potential immigration violations to be given due process under the law, they want the U.S. to stand behind Ukraine in their current war, they want respect shown to the LGBTQ community, they want Medicaid funding cuts reversed.
And, rally-goers at the state capitol Saturday said they want President Trump to stop acting like a king, and leave office. It was one of many “No Kings” rallies throughout Illinois, and the rest of the U.S.
In the 1960’s, Mary Moreland’s father came to Illinois to practice medicine, after he was outed as gay, and banned from practicing in California. She remembered how Illinois was the first state in the country to be welcoming of gay people, not just in person, but also in legislation.
“I am so glad and so proud that walking around on Planet Earth today are homophobes, and trans folks, who are
alive because my father treated their ancestors,” said Moreland.
One of the bigger concerns was the recent unrest in Los Angeles, after ICE agents started making unannounced visits there, leading to protests, clashes with law enforcement, and President Trump deploying Marines and National Guard members there, against the wishes of local officials.
“(Trump) hasn’t sent them (to Illinois) yet. But, the fact he’s willing to tells us everything we need to know,” said Tara Bergschneider, New Berlin, one of the organizers of the rally. “We are not here because we are sore losers. We are not here because we are having fun. We are here because we are awake.”
The rally-goers said they wanted President Trump to hear them, and they wanted members of Congress to hear them.
“United States Congress: I, Joshua Leingang, from a small town in Springfield, Illinois, do hereby ask you to invoke the 25th Amendment,” Leingang, one of the co-organizers, said.
Leingang also criticized U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, for reportedly being one of 75 Democrat members of the House who voted to support a resolution condemning antisemitism, but also expressing “gratitude” to ICE agents. Budzinski was not present at the rally.
On several occasions, at least two vehicles with passengers holding and waving flags supporting President Trump, drove by the rally and honked, but some attendees chose to boo, while others turned their backs. No problems were otherwise caused. Overall, the rally could be described as peaceful.
Participants marched to the Old State Capitol and back to the current Capitol during the afternoon.
All agreed that despite the rhetoric, including signs containing profane language, the country was too divided, and needed to start to heal and unite instead.
A moment of silence was also held in memory of the two people killed and two others injured Saturday morning when a man posing as a police officer fired shots, targeting two state politicians in Minnesota.