Philadelphia "No Kings" protest fills Benjamin Franklin Parkway
The Philadelphia "No Kings" rally drew a large crowd to Center City on Saturday, leading to road closures in the area of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Participants first gathered at LOVE Park near City Hall starting at 11 a.m. Around 12:30 p.m., they began to march down the Parkway to 22nd Street, where a stage was set up for speeches.
An increased police presence was visible at the event.
Trump administration's response to No Kings protest
A spokesperson for President Trump offered a response ahead of Saturday's nationwide protests.
"The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told CBS News Philadelphia in an email Friday.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to multiple local elected Republican leaders for comment on the protest and has not yet heard back.
What demonstrators said at the Philadelphia No Kings protest
Many protesters held signs criticizing U.S. military action in Iran, and others called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the wake of deadly incidents in Minnesota.
"I'm an old hippie ... I'm for peace and love, that's the main thing we need do. One Earth, not all this international killing one another," said one demonstrator who goes by "Sunshine Sam." He held a sign that said "no war, no kings."
"I think that this war in Iran probably has more [to do] with distracting the country from the sins of Trump," Fran Nadel said, as she carried a sign that mentioned the Epstein files. Her husband Doug was dressed as the Statue of Liberty when we spoke to the couple near City Hall.
Others said their concerns were related to everyday costs at home.
"We are in a really bad situation right now," Dennis Fonesca said. "Gas is rising, food is expensive, rent is high. It's hard for us to live."
The rally on the Parkway wrapped up around 3 p.m.
Other No Kings protests around the Philadelphia area today
Other No Kings events were scheduled to take place in the Philadelphia area, including:
- West Chester, Pennsylvania;
- Norristown, Pennsylvania;
- Havertown, Pennsylvania;
- Trenton, New Jersey;
- Princeton, New Jersey;
- Atlantic City, New Jersey
Other major cities having No Kings protests include Chicago, Miami, and St. Paul (where Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez were expected to perform).
Previous "No Kings" protests
An Oct. 18 "No Kings" protest shut down areas from City Hall to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
There were rallies around the Philadelphia region on President Trump's birthday, June 14, last year, coinciding with his military parade in Washington commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
A "No Kings" rally in Norristown drew hundreds of people, including one hoisting a "golden toilet" sculpture.
