No Kings protests in Albany, Troy

Thousands of people lined Western Ave in Albany last Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement. Protestors were operating as a united front in opposition to the Trump administration’s perceived authoritarian tactics within the White House.

This past weekend marked the second day of “No Kings” protests this year, with a turnout of approximately 7 million people in 2,600 different demonstrations. This made it one of the United States’ largest single-day protests in history, surpassing the last “No Kings” protests, which estimated 4-6 million people in around 2,100 locations.

The protest, spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union and progressive group Indivisible, spanned 2.5 miles of Western Ave in Albany, lasting from 12 pm to 2 pm. The vast majority of protestors joined as individual citizens outside of other organized groups.

The head of Indivisible Albany, Matt Brockbank, started organizing the protest about two months prior to the demonstration. The seven members who make up the group collaborated with the ACLU and other groups to organize the Capital Region’s biggest protest of the day. Western Ave was picked as the demonstration site for its proximity to the University of Albany, to get more visibility, and to capitalize on the alumni visiting for their Homecoming weekend. This location choice caused the protest to cross city limits into Guilderland, which prompted municipal law enforcement to maintain a presence.

Groups present included the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United University Professionals, and the Socialist Alternative.