To say that the Kingwood, Texas #NoKings protest was an overperformance does not tell the whole story. The number of people who participated and the message they articulated do.
Kingwood, Texas #NoKings protest
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Summary
In Kingwood, Texas, the protest labeled “#NoKings” drew over 1,000 participants—marking it as the largest demonstration the local organizers have ever achieved. The rally was not a partisan Democratic event but a grassroots outcry against a president acting like a “king” and harming constituents, many of whom were former Republicans turned independents or Democrats. Despite little local mainstream media coverage, the organizers and participants made their message heard and gained attention from the Pacifica Network’s WBAI station in New York.
- The protest, part of the #NoKings movement in Kingwood, registered more than 1,000 participants—significantly higher than previous protests in the area.
- Organizers had anticipated the larger turnout: they saw registration figures rise rapidly in the hours leading up to the event.
- The demonstration targeted the president, described as “acting like a king,” citing corruption and harm to constituents, thus framing the action as civic resistance rather than partisan campaigning.
- Many participants identified not as Democrats but as independents or former Republicans, showing a cross-party mobilization over local governance concerns.
- Although local TV and media largely ignored the event, the protest received external coverage (e.g., by WBAI in New York), illustrating how mainstream neglect can be overcome by independent media and organizing.
This event in Kingwood underscores the power of grassroots organizing to reclaim democracy from entrenched power. When everyday people—regardless of party label—turn out en masse to say “no” to unaccountable leadership, they not only challenge the status quo but also plant seeds for a more inclusive civic culture. The #NoKings protest is a reminder that true democracy thrives when the people speak, and when the media and institutions listen.
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On the last day before the Kingwood, Texas #NoKings protest, Indivisible Kingwood leader Cindi Hendrickson sent me several texts. Every few hours, the counts continued to explode. I finally asked the most crucial question at this time, for the last #NoKings event: how many did we have? She said less than half as much. But here is the kicker. Usually, one receives fewer than the actual number registered. The last time, we had more than twice as many, with over 700 participants. So, the women organizing this event knew a tsunami of people was on its way. And we got it.
The police claimed we had 850. That was likely an early count. I counted over 200 45 minutes before the event. Walls of people kept coming, and the people lined all sides of the streets double-filed and sometimes triple-filed. Early on, I performed a line count from two medians and had a count of over 800 as more arrived.
I have been involved in protests on national and local issues in the Kingwood area for over two decades. Our most successful protest numerically was when we protested the school board’s choice for a less-than-optimal superintendent. At its max, we probably had about 150 at the administration building. The most sustained protest we had was Occupy Kingwood, which lasted 52 consecutive weekends through the summer, fall, winter, and spring, despite thunderstorms, snow, and sleet. We were happy with 15 to 25 people and were ecstatic when over 50 showed up for the last week.
What the Kingwood women organizers did for the #NoKings protest is no less than monumental. Of course, they have a president who is so corrupt, and that is causing so much harm to so many, including his voting constituents. It has made their organizing a bit more straightforward, but it is imperative.
The protest was not a Democratic Party event at all. It was people calling out the president for acting like a king as he harms most. In fact, made sure to ask many if they were democrats. A large percentage said they were independent (read, disgusted Republicans). More than one claimed they were former Republicans and are now either independents or democrats.
I did over 30 short interviews. They are in the playlist below, which is growing as I process and clean up each video independently. So visit the list frequently. Protesters had a lot to say.
Kingwood, Texas #NoKings Protest playlist
While none of our local or TV networks covered our impactful #NoKings protest, WBAI New York, a Pacifica Network station, requested coverage. Julianna Forlano, a host at WBA, covered our event. She interviewed me a few hours after the event.
Pacifica Network’s WBAI New York coverage
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