No Kings Day, a nationwide movement in the US against the authoritarian policies of President Donald Trump and his administration, saw its second wave of protests on Saturday, October 18 with an estimated seven million protestors. The first wave of protests, which took place in towns and cities across the US and involved about five million participants, was organized in response to Trump’s birthday military parade on June 14. The purpose of the No Kings Day movement is to advocate for the reestablishment of due process and checks and balances, democratic procedures organizers believe are being eroded in the wake of Trump’s second presidential term. While the June 14 protest used solemnity to express dissent, this wave of protests displayed a different form of resistance: joy.
Many activists at the No Kings protest located in Longmont, Colorado were dressed up in animal and character costumes. The impetus behind activists donning these disguises was a viral TikTok video of an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agent spraying pepper spray into the air vent of a protester’s inflatable frog costume in Portland, Oregon on Oct 2. In response, Chewbaccas, squirrels, unicorns, dinosaurs, and of course more frogs began to make their appearance.
“I am definitely standing with the Portland frog right now,” said Michelle Pulley, a Colorado teacher. She was dressed as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, symbolizing her goal to “bounce [Trump] out of office — legally.”
This whimsical energy coursed throughout the event, and protesters believed it to be a radical form of resistance. Dressed in a unicorn costume, a protester who chose to remain anonymous said “Power wants to be respected and feared. They don’t want to be laughed at. So bringing the absurd and joyful to situations like this is one of the most powerful ways to protest hate and fear.”
While dressing up in playful costumes may seem trite to some, protester Jen Stewart spoke to the long history of “using humor to diffuse authoritarianism,” by describing the No Kings movement as a display of “tactical frivolity,” meaning activists were using humour to disarm the targets of their protest.
These costume-clad protestors believe this tactic shines a mirror on the Trump administration, forcing them to confront the absurdity of their own actions. A protester dressed as a T-Rex, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to the idea that costumes make it difficult for the administration and police to justify acts of violence against protesters. “I mean come on, it’s an inflatable costume,” the protester said.
While the joy around the animated culture of activism in this small Colorado town was palpable, anxiety for the future of the United States persists. Many are convinced that the next target of the Trump administration will be the US system of presidential election itself. This fear emerged after Trump’s recent allusions to the possibility of extending his limits of his presidential term. Aboard Air Force One on Monday, Oct. 27, the US president said he “would love to do it” in reference to a third term. “If we’re allowed to have [an election], then yes I’m hopeful,” the T-Rex costumed protester said. When asked if she was hopeful for the next election Pulley also said, “if we get to have one.” Gavin Newsom, governor of California, seems to share these same fears. In August, he posted a Youtube video to raise awareness for Californian voters regarding Prop. 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, which aims to prevent Republican gerrymandering.
In the face of these worries, activists seem to believe hope is essential. Protestor Sam Williams, from inside his inflatable frog costume, said that he has “more hope than [before].” His partner Stewart, who was also dressed as a frog, added: “this is fun and I think fun fuels you, but at some point we’ll have to take some serious actions.”
While joy was certainly an effective energizer for these protesters, it also reaffirmed their understanding of the need for sustained action if they hope to see the No Kings Day mission statement (“No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings”) through. But the activists in Longmont, Colorado are no strangers to making this effort. They’ve hosted and will continue to host weekly vigils in protest of injustice, now with the added implementation of tactical frivolity.