Set to the backdrop of music, games, yoga and crafts for adults and children alike, McCadden Park in Northwest Roanoke drew about 500 people, June 14, for the Roanoke Indivisible NO KINGS event. The grassroots day of action served as the official local gathering of the Indivisible movement across more than 1,000 cities.
Held in conjunction with Flag Day and in partnership with the Roanoke Juneteenth Family Reunion 2025, the NO KINGS event underscored the continued need for freedom of opportunity and human dignity across America. It took place amid a growing concern over deep and indiscriminate federal spending which has impacted many services and institutions locally, including food banks, free clinics, refugee outreach, Medicaid assistance, broadband internet access, state parks and public broadcast outlets.
“We stand as the group that would decide, as a people, what matters; that would decide what dreams our children would live; that would decide the contours of our society that is us – we the people,” said Ivonne Fuentes, founder, Roanoke Indivisible who served as the main speaker for the event.
“So when you break it down who gets to decide the future, is it one man with his little dreams of enriching others or is it we the people together who continue to say we are not here to be ruled, we are not a fragile people in need of a patriarch who tells us what to do, we consent to be governed,” she continued to rousing chants of approval from the crowd.
“This event focused on deepening community engagement, as well as on the organization that’s needed to sustain a mass movement,” said Meg Dance, one of Roanoke Indivisible’s volunteer organizers. “Both the location and the inclusion of art, music and kid-friendly spaces allowed families and other attendees a welcoming and open space to gather.”
An Indivisible footprint was seen in all 50 states on that day, with gatherings also taking place internationally in Canada, England and Italy.
Attendees of the Roanoke event had this to say: “I don’t like where we have ended up. Our country should stand for freedom, democracy, equity, and diversity. This is our power as the people. Events like this are the way we show what we really want.” – Erik R., Salem
Trump “needs to know veterans are against everything he’s doing. When I joined the military, I signed a paper saying I would protect the Constitution, not a king.” – Russ, Vinton, U.S. Navy veteran
“I educated myself. My family are all Republicans and don’t support this. Republicans focus more on money, not people. We’re literally living out the Lorax movies, it’s so sad.” – Kenzie, Bland County
“We have people in our country who are currently having their rights infringed upon. The next best thing to having acted proactively six months ago is to act now. When we have events like this, it’s important to show up on behalf of the people who can’t.” – Alana K., Bedford
“I’m worried about the terrible misuse of power by the secretary of defense. We protect Americans from foreign threats but not each other. I bet 99 percent of my fellow Marines are unhappy with it.” – Bob F., Bedford, Vietnam War veteran
“I understand why people are upset about border issues – the way it’s being handled now is too far and inhumane. And all the attacks on the colleges. We are flooding the world with technologies like AI; do we really want to send all of our scientists to different countries? We have always been the world leader in technology and science.” – Jodi I., Roanoke County
“It’s hard to put [this crisis] into words: Deportations, tariffs, the economy. [Trump] has no fiscal restraint. And the disparity between rich and poor is getting further and further apart.” – Kevin, Smith Mountain Lake, longtime Republican voter.
“If you’re not happy with the way things are going, this is your opportunity to lend your voice. It’s very peaceful, and people are happy to be here. And I think it’s important to send a message that this is a broad grassroots movement. We have thousands of these kinds of events, and that adds up to a lot of people.” – Paul S., Roanoke
Note: Surnames were omitted from the preceding quotes due to the sensitive nature of the event.
NO KINGS marked the third major event Roanoke Indivisible has held in 2025 – the first at the corner of Jefferson Street and Elm Avenue on April 6 was part of the national Hands Off! protest; the second was the May Day rally at River’s Edge South.
