by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com

Sadness, anger and despair have come easy for broad swaths of Americans since Donald Trump took office, again, in January.

The daily slog of the administration’s often alarming declarations, gaffes, and edicts have flooded our social media feeds and dominated headlines on the airwaves and in print. Recently its cruel, chaotic crackdown on immigrants has put many of us on edge, especially in Los Angeles County.

I’m sure our six month case of the fascism blues feels much different to Trump’s many supporters. But for the rest of us, it’s been a lot. Too much, even. In the interest of sanity, I have intentionally stepped away from the outrage machine at various times since January 20. Some friends have done the same. Even the strongest among us is hard pressed to organize when we are shellshocked and overwhelmed. It’s like parenting: you can’t be a good father if you’re not taking care of yourself alongside your kids.

Some 5,000 protesters took part in Claremont’s No Kings protest on Saturday, which though raucous, was completely peaceful. Photo/by Jessie Cadenas

This anarchic maelstrom is of course by design. It’s the “flood the zone” commandment of the second Trump administration’s playbook, Project 2025. And it’s been working rather well. We are tired. We are dejected.

But on Saturday, I discovered the antidote: I joined some 5,000 people — an astounding number for a city of 35,640 — for Claremont’s No Kings protest, where I was struck with a feeling I hadn’t known in some time — joyous optimism.

For a glorious two-plus hours, the noisy, animated throng at Indian Hill and Foothill stretched east for more than 100 yards, west past Colby Circle, north to Claremont High, and south as well. I saw many familiar faces, and met folks from surrounding communities, all gathering peacefully to declare that enough is enough.

We held signs, chanted, cheered, and raised a righteous ruckus, much to the delight of folks in hundreds of passing cars, whose symphony of horns in support of the protest were a constant reminder that we are not alone.

Demonstrators unfurled hundreds of American flags at Saturday’s No Kings protest in Claremont. Photo/by Jessie Cadenas

And, for a few hours, that camaraderie felt like family. It felt like maybe our collective voices do have power, and maybe organized, peaceful resistance to Trump’s widespread authoritarian overreach can actually move the needle. It sure moved me.

With Trump and his intentionally schizophrenic administration sucking up so much optimism over the past six months, Saturday’s protest felt like a huge dose of pure joyous oxygen. It left me high, giddy with possibility after so much darkness. And when I learned Monday that more than 5 million people had taken to the streets in more than 2,100 No Kings protests across the nation, that optimism got a booster shot.

Claremont’s demonstration drew from across the racial and age spectrum, from babies, toddlers, and teens, to entire young families, grey haired newspaper editors, and the most senior of our senior citizens. It was a celebratory atmosphere. And we really needed something to celebrate.

One elegant older woman’s sign encapsulated the vibe: “Raging Grannies, With Liberty and Justice For All.”

“For me it’s about liberty and justice for all,” said Claremont resident Lisa Dorman, 41, who was dressed as lady liberty, complete with chains and a “Resist” flag. “I spent so many years saying that as a child, and it feels so unfair now. So, until there’s liberty and justice for all, I believe lady liberty is in chains. Our American dream is in chains and at risk. My mom, a product of the Vietnam War, a ‘60s activist, says ‘If you don’t use your voice, you lose it.’”

Signs ran the gamut from humorous to profane, and from simple to elaborate at Saturday’s No Kings protest in Claremont. Courier photo/Mick Rhodes

Right on, sister.

I half-expected No Kings to be a somber reflection of the weight of the moment. Thank God I was wrong. I had also expected some pushback in the form of counterprotesters, or at the least a few middle fingers from passing cars. After all, hundreds, maybe thousands of vehicles drove through the boisterous demonstration, and it would figure some would have expressed their displeasure. But as far as I could tell, that wasn’t the case. On the contrary, the cacophonous honking of passing supporters, combined with the chanting, laughing, singing, and general noisemaking of the crowd, added to the jubilant soundtrack of the day.

And in contrast to the militarized police response we’ve all been seeing in LA over the past two weeks, there was no visible law enforcement presence on Saturday. Good on the Claremont Police Department for knowing how to keep the peace by stepping back and letting folks exercise their First Amendment rights, even if the crowd sometimes clogged the crosswalks and pushed into traffic a bit.

I walked away from Saturday’s protest sweaty, tired, and, for the first time in months, optimistic. It was a few hours of wild, uninterrupted joy. We all needed that reminder that yes, maybe our voices can make a difference after all.

Indivisible Claremont volunteer and City of Trees native Lisa Thomas said it best: “It feels incredibly good. I’m very proud of my city.”