Dinosaurs, unicorns and ‘raging grannies’ — but no kings — in Sacramento
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- The “rebels” gathered outside California’s Capitol on Saturday, mindlessly trampling the lawn in their Hokas.
- The place was full of un-human participants dancing with abandon, stomping around and saying really mean things about President Trump.
SACRAMENTO — Thousands of rebels gathered outside the state Capitol on Saturday, mindlessly trampling the lawn in their Hokas, even as the autumnal sun in Sacramento forced them to strip off their protective puffer vests.
With chants of “No Kings,” many of these chaotic protesters spilled off sidewalks into the street, as if curbs held no power of containment, no meaning in their anarchist hearts.
Clearly, the social order has broken. Where would it end, this reporter wondered. Would they next be demanding passersby honk? Could they dare offer fiery speeches?
The answer came all too soon, when within minutes, I spotted clear evidence of the organized anti-fascist underground that U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi has been warning us about.
The “Raging Grannies of Sacramento” had set up a stage, and were testing microphones in advance of bombarding the crowd with song. These women wore coordinating aprons! They had printed signs — signs with QR codes. If grandmothers who know how to use a QR code aren’t dangerous, I don’t know who it is.
Large crowds are expected to protest President Trump and his policies at ‘No Kings’ events. Some on the right are framing them as ‘Hate America’ rallies.
Ellen Schwartz, 82, told me this Canadian-founded group operates without recognized leaders — an “international free-form group of gaggles of grannies,” is how she put it, and I wrote it all down for Kash Patel.
Within moments, they had robbed Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews of their most famous duet: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” mutilating it into “super callous fragile racist narcissistic POTUS.”
Not to be outdone by the Silent Generation, 2-year-old Rhea also showed up, first clinging to her mom, then toddling around on her own as if she owned the place. This is a kid to keep an eye on.
Since Rhea cannot yet speak about her political beliefs, her parents gave me some insight into why she was there.
“I’m not sure if we’ll still have a civilization that allows protest very long, so I want her to at least have a memory of it,” said her dad, Neonn, who asked that their last names not be used. Like many Americans, he’s a bit hesitant to draw the eye of authority.
Kara, Rhea’s mom, had a more hopeful outlook.
“America is the people, so for me I want to keep bringing her here so that she knows she is part of something bigger: peace and justice,” she said, before walking off to see the dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs, that’s right. And tigers. And roosters. And unicorns. Even a cow hugging a chipmunk, which I believe is now illegal in most of the South.
Yes, folks, the Portland frog has started something. The place was full of un-human participants acting like animals — dancing with abandon, stomping around, saying really mean things about President Trump.
Protesters gathered in L.A. and elsewhere in Southern California for ‘No Kings’ demonstrations, a nationwide effort to push back against President Trump’s policies.
Meanwhile, the smell of roasting meat was undeniable. People, they were eating the hot dogs! They were eating the grilled onions! There were immigrants everywhere selling the stuff (and it was delicious).
I spoke to a Tyrannosaurus Rex and asked him why he went Late Cretaceous.
“If you don’t do something soon, you will have democracy be extinct,” Jim Short told me from inside the suit.
His wife, Patty, was ensconced in a coordinating suit, hers brown, his green. Didn’t they worry about being labeled anti-American for being here, as House Speaker Mike Johnson and others have claimed?
“I’m not afraid,” Patty said. “I’m antifa or a hardened criminal or what’s the other one?”
“Hamas?” Jim queried. “Or an illegal immigrant?”
“I think people need more history,” Patty said.
I agree.
And the day millions of very average Americans turned out to peacefully protect democracy — again — may be part of it.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
- The article portrays the No Kings protests as a peaceful exercise of democratic rights, featuring diverse participants including elderly “Raging Grannies,” young families with toddlers, and people in creative costumes like dinosaurs and unicorns who gathered to voice concerns about preserving democracy. The protests drew millions of participants across the country, with organizers claiming more than 7 million people rose up at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states to declare that “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people”. The demonstrations represented a broad coalition of more than 250 advocacy organizations including the ACLU, Common Cause, Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, and others[1]. Organizers framed the protests as opposing what they characterized as the president’s escalating authoritarian power grab, particularly focusing on concerns about militarized agents being sent into communities and the silencing of voters. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended the rallies, telling reporters that efforts to mischaracterize them were part of a “continued right-wing disinformation machine”[1].
Different views on the topic
- President Trump downplayed the protests in remarks to reporters before a cabinet meeting, saying “I hear very few people are gonna be there” and dismissing participants as wanting “their day in the sun”[1]. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized protesters as “left-wing protestors” who could “beclown themselves by lawfully protesting the alternate reality they live in,” while warning that “violence or breaking the law will not be tolerated”[1]. House Speaker Mike Johnson went further in his criticism, characterizing Saturday’s protests as a “hate America” rally when speaking with reporters[1]. The Trump administration has maintained that the protests represent a fringe element disconnected from mainstream American sentiment, with officials suggesting the demonstrations are based on misrepresentations rather than legitimate grievances[1].
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