As part of an estimated 2,600 other “No Kings” events held across the U.S., thousands of gathered in communities across Oregon on Saturday to denounce the Trump Administration.
Since the first “No Kings” rally back in June, President Trump has intensified crackdowns on immigrants, sent armed troops to largely Democratic cities, and has attempted to fire federal workers as the government shutdown nears its third week.
In Eugene, a crowed estimated by Eugene Police to number between 3,500 and 4,000 people gathered downtown.
Jenny Jonak, a Eugene 4J school board member, wore an inflatable frog costume to show solidarity for the Portland demonstrators who’ve done regular protests outside that city’s ICE facility. She said she objects to Trump and some conservative media outlets that have characterized Portland as a lawless city that’s on fire and ruled by Antifa.
“And featuring it as war torn when those of us who live in Oregon know that that’s clearly not the case,” said Jonak. “Whether it affects Eugene or not, we’re always concerned when we see our neighbors having encroachments like that and also just seeing something that deviates so much from the truth is disturbing.”
Dean Schlichting and his wife, Clara Lanyi, came to the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse dressed in inflatable costumes, as a squirrel and bald eagle respectively.
Schlichting says as a federal worker himself, he’s very concerned for his peers.
“And I’m sympathetic to everything else that’s going on,” he said. “I mean there’s so many issues, it’s hard to pick a single one. Because it just seems like it’s a full court press to pull our attention in every direction. And make us feel weak and powerless, and that’s not the case as you can see here.”
“We are regular Americans, we are not terrorists,” said Lanyi. “We believe in the Constitution. We are patriots. And we don’t like to see what’s happening with our country today.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pre-emptively criticized the “No Kings” rallies as anti-American.
That didn’t sit well with Bonnie Pettit, 66, whose father served in World War II. She held a sign of her father in uniform, which read “My father fought fascism in World War II. Now I will.” She sees Trump’s crackdown on the press, immigrants, and dissent as too similar to the fascist leaders of the 1930s and 40s, and wondered how her dad would react.
“Probably turning in his grave as most of the ‘Greatest Generation’ would be if they saw what was happening to America right now,” Pettit told KLCC. “I don’t think we were ever a true democracy. But we’re still trying. And I think basically our experiment is over.”
In that same vein was Kendra Northam of Eugene, who held a sign that read, “FREEDOM NOT FASCISM.” She said she was concerned over the rise in sexism, racism, and xenophobia with this administration.
“I think it’s always been there to a certain degree," she said. "But when you have people in quote-unquote leadership, that promote and make it okay, it brings the worst out of some people and it makes it normalized which is really, really scary. And that’s what I’m saying, history is repeating itself.”
Northam said as a Korean American, she’s aware of discrimination and recalled how Japanese Americans were put into internment camps during World War II, and wonders if similar plans lie ahead for immigrants, people of color, and more.
The scene in Roseburg
The protests also stretched into more rural and politically conservative areas of Oregon.
In Roseburg, more than 1,000 people lined Stewart Parkway, attracting a stream of supportive honking and occasional jeers from passersby.
Organizers estimated there may have been more than 2,000 people in total.
Wearing a frog hat in solidarity with Portland, protestor Lyn Biethan said she was there because she loves America, and wants to preserve its liberties for future generations.
“We're known as a red city in a red county in a blue state,” said Biethan. “And by me being present here, I'm showing that there are progressive people here in this town.”
Roseburg is in Douglas County, where around two-thirds of voters supported Trump in last year’s election.
But Melissa Sherwood with Indivisible Douglas County said the new administration’s deportation policies are harming immigrants in the local community, while Trump’s promises of lower grocery bills haven’t come to pass.
“Billionaires are doing quite well. Millionaires are doing very well. The average working class American family is suffering,” said Sherwood. “I think that's really waking people up, and I hope that it wakes up my neighbors.”
Dave Esper, a U.S. army veteran and Sutherlin resident, brought a “don’t tread on me” flag to Saturday’s event. He said he was taking the symbol away from those who have taken the American flag from him.
“I'm representing myself as someone that says you're not going to tread on me or my rights,” said Esper. “You're not going to tread on my neighbor's rights. You're not going to tread on the immigrants that feed us, and feed this nation. You're not going to tread on them.”
Saturday’s event drew a handful of religious and pro-Charlie Kirk counter-protesters.
Prior to the event, organizers told KLCC they’d learned of a credible threat of gun violence against the No Kings Day event, but they were able to identify and report the individual.
The Roseburg Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information about the alleged threat.
Some of Trump’s allies have characterized the “No Kings” rallies as potentially violent “hate America” events, but the first ones held in June were peaceful. No violence has been reported so far from Oregon’s rallies.
Brian Bull reported from Eugene and Nathan Wilk reported from Roseburg.
Copyright 2025, KLCC.
