More than 100 Michigan communities including some in the Capital Region plan to join nation-wide protests this weekend opposing the Trump administration.
A previous ‘No Kings’ protest over the summer saw millions attending events across the country and thousands in Lansing.
At a Monday press conference highlighting the event, Democratic state representative Laurie Pohutsky said the protest is a declaration that America is not a monarchy.
She calls recent moves by the administration, including the deployment of the National Guard to cities led by Democrats and the treatment of immigrants tyrannical.
“This is literally the situation the founders warned us about," she said. "They fought a war against the arbitrary power of a king and enacted our constitution to ensure that we would never have one again."
Pohutsky said the only way to stop this is by organizing massive peaceful protests.
Executive Director of the nonpartisan Voters Not Politicians organization, Christy McGillivray, said Americans have a right to disagree with the government.
“Deep down, every single American, regardless of political affiliation, agrees with this," she said." "This is our most profound and universally held American value. Our right to criticize the government is what is under attack right now.”
McGillivray said the best way to defend the freedom of speech is through protest.
A No Kings Day event is scheduled for Saturday in Lansing.
