Across thousands of cities nationwide, including dozens in Pennsylvania, millions of Americans rallied against the Trump administration Saturday in the third “No Kings” protests since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Outside of massive demonstrations in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, commonwealth residents assembled in smaller municipalities like Reading, located in Berks County, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to establish a 1,500-bed detention facility.
Cousins Jennifer and Jackie Arteaga, of Mexican descent, said current events seemed almost surreal, keeping the American dream out of reach. They said they feared for family members who don’t have documentation.
“It feels like our country is a joke … with a government that’s so unjust,” said Jennifer Arteaga, 25, who attended with her 3-year-old son. “It’s his future we’re talking about.”
Jackie Arteaga, 20, lives 20 minutes from the proposed detention facility, and said she worries about seeing ICE agents in her community.
“It’s a scary feeling to know that I might be seeing them at the Wawa by my house,” said Jackie Arteaga. “What do I do?”
Jennifer Arteaga criticized the use of the empty warehouse for ICE, saying that resources could be used to house homeless people in the area instead. Jackie Arteaga also worried about the impact of the facility on her area’s water and sewage system — which state officials cited as barriers in administrative orders earlier this month.
The two weren’t the only protesters motivated by their opposition to ICE’s actions to attend the rally. Many of the signs along the busy intersection criticized the agency, and event organizers with the Berks County Democratic Committee handed out “No ICE” pins and paper crowns.
“I’m against it. Period,” said Patti Rose, wearing a “No ICE in Berks County” pin. She said she opposed and protested a previous detention center in the county designed to house families.
“It’s not about criminals, it’s about rounding people up randomly,” said Rose, 67. “We have a lot of empty warehouses in Pennsylvania, we’re a prime target for their campaign … it’s barbaric.”
Repeat protests
Lined up a quarter mile or more on each side of the intersecting roadways, a few hundred people chanted and cheered against a backdrop of near-constant honking from drive-by supporters and several live music performers. Some protesters marched with cowbells and tambourines, others sang choral music and at least one person played punk music from a portable speaker.
Aside from ICE, other popular protest topics included frustration with Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman for recent votes aligned with the Republican party, outrage over the lack of action — or arrests — from the Epstein files and opposition to the war in Iran.
For two friends from nearby Temple, the nonstop news seemed to be a ploy to keep people occupied and divide their attention.
“It’s only been 14 months and the amount of damage he’s done … people become almost numb to it,” said Elaine Shoemacker.
“There’s so much that when you make a poster you think, ‘What do I pick?’” Brenda Reedy quipped.
Donna Bailey, of Reading, who was at her third No Kings protest, said she keeps coming to No Kings rallies for her grandchildren.
“And the fear of losing democracy, of going backwards” said Bailey. “Fear of my grandchildren not being able to afford life … it’s just getting worse.
“Eventually it’s got to stop or hit a tipping point, but every time you think it’s a low point it’s not low enough.”
