NO KINGS: National 'Day of Defiance'

In the United States of America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. NO KINGS is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies. We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political views, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts, bringing fascism to our country. This has all been done at the expense of you, me, and workers across the land while while continuing to serve and enrich the billionaire oligarchy allies who bought the presidency for Trump .

On Saturday, June 14, we’re taking to the streets nationwide. We’re not gathering to feed the false idol's ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.

The flag doesn’t belong to the Trump administration. It belongs to us, we the people. Carry an American flag. As the administration creates a fake emergency to justify a state crackdown, it's important to honor the values and vision of democracy for which we're advocating. We’re not watching history happen. We are making it.

On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

We are being informed that this Saturday, June 14th, Proud Boys and other Trump brownshirts plan to infiltrate the anti-Trump "No Kings" protests, attack the police and destroy property, to falsely justify Trump sending in the National Guard. If violence breaks out at your protest, SIT DOWN. Leave only the provocateurs standing. DO NOT let THEM provoke YOU!

Below is a list of where NO KINGS events are taking place in Atlanta and surrounding areas. Click on the links for times, maps, and more information.

Atlanta, Liberty Plaza 10 am to noon

Atlanta, Atlantic Station Bridge Overpass, 17th St Bridge 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Tucker, Northlake Festival Shopping Center, 4073 Lavista Rd, Tucker, 30084

Chamblee, 3553 Chamblee Tucker Rd, Atlanta, 30341

Marietta, IND Cobb Rally (must sign-up for location)

Marietta, Marietta Pizza company corner, 99 S Park Square NE, Marietta, 30060

Athens, College Square, College Avenue, Athens, 30601

Douglasville, address, (must sign-up for location)

Fayetteville, Old Fayette County Courthouse, 204 Glynn St S, Fayetteville, 30214

Hiram/Dallas, HWY 92 and Jimmy Lee Smith Hwy, 66 Hiram Douglasville Hwy, Hiram, 30141

McDonough, McDonough City Hall, 136 Keys Ferry St, McDonough, 30253

Woodstock, location and location, Woodstock, 30188

Gwinnett, private, (must sign-up for location)

Griffin, The Griffin Auditorium, 234 E Taylor St, Griffin, 30224

Newnan, South Court Square, Newnan, 30263

Cartersville, US 41 and East Main Street, Cartersville, 30121

Carrollton, West GA Indivisible, 311 Newnan St, Carrollton, 30117

Gainesville, Poultry Park (Chicken Statue), 444 Jesse Jewell Pkwy, Gainesville, 30501

LaGrange, 1 East Lafayette Square, LaGrange, 30240

Noteworthy:

Know your rights (Courtesy of the ACLU):

1. You don't need a permit to protest in response to breaking news and you don't need a permit to march in the streets or along sidewalks, as long as you're not obstructing traffic or access to buildings.
2. When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police.
3. If you believe your rights have been violated, when you can, write down everything you remember, get contact information for witnesses, and take photographs of any injuries.
4. If you get stopped by the police, ask if you're free to go. If they say yes, calmly walk away.
5. If you get arrested, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't sign, say or agree to anything without a lawyer present.
6. If you get stopped by a member of the military or any law enforcement officer at a protest, you have the right to remain silent or to tell them that you'll only answer questions in the presence of an attorney - no matter your citizenship or immigration status.

Know Your Rights, part 2

PUBLIC PROPERTY = FREE SPEECH
NO WARRANT = NO ACCESS (phone, photos, etc.)
You can record anything in plain view IF you are not interfering.

IF YOU ARE STOPPED ASK: Am I free to go?
YES: Walk Away NO: Ask why NO ANSWER: Ask again.

IF YOU ARE ARRESTED
• KEEP CALM
• COOPERATE
• KEEP HANDS VISIBLE
ASK FOR
• Name + Badge
• Reason for Arrest
• Lawyer

You don't have to give your name, but DO NOT LIE !!!
Don't SAY or SIGN anything without a lawyer.

Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety (Courtesy the Human Rights Campaign):

• Preparation is Key
• Know the Environment
• Stay Aware and Secure
• Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
• Peaceful Protesting Tips
• What NOT to bring
• If Confronted or Detained
• After the Protest

A friendly and thorough guide to staying safe while making your voice heard:

1. Go with a Group - Stick with trusted people and plan a meetup spot.
2. Dress for Safety - Wear plain clothes and sturdy shoes. Avoid logos.
3. Protect Your Identity - Use masks, hats, and disable phone biometrics.
4. Limit What You Carry - Essentials only: ID, phone, snacks, water.
5. Write Emergency Info - Use Sharpie on your arm for key contacts and allergies.
6. Use Encrypted Apps - Prefer Signal. Turn on Airplane Mode if needed.
7. Know Your Rights - Learn your legal rights before attending.
8. Avoid Escalation Zones - Stay alert and know exit routes.
9. Stay Hydrated and Calm - Bring water, snacks, and calming items.
10. Look Out for Others - Offer help and extras if you can.
11. Remove Jewelry - Avoid anything that could be pulled or grabbed.
12. Prepare for Tear Gas - No makeup; bring saline or baking soda mix.
13. Vinegar/Lemon Cloth - Keep sealed for tear gas defense.
14. Mark Legal Aid Number - Write legal support on your body.
15. De-escalation Phrase - Have a calming statement ready.
16. Minimal Wallet - Only take what you need (ID, cash).
17. Avoid Real-Time Posting - Post photos or videos only after leaving.
18. Use Disappearing Messages - Signal auto-deletes protect your convos.
19. Know Your Area - Identify safe landmarks and exits ahead of time.
20. Trust Your Gut - Leave if it feels unsafe or tense.

Peter Coyote, Zen priest, on protests:

"I’m watching the Los Angeles reaction to ICE raids with trepidation and regret.
"Three years ago I taught a class at Harvard on the “theater of protest”— designed to help people understand why so many protests turn out to be Republican campaign videos working directly against the interests of the original protest.
"A protest is an invitation to a better world.
"It’s a ceremony.
"No one accepts a ceremonial invitation when they’re being screamed at.
"More important you have to know who the real audience of the protest is.
"The audience is NEVER the police, the politicians, the Board of supervisors, Congress,etc.
"The audience is always the American people, who are trying to decide who they can trust; who will not embarrass them.
"If you win them, you win power at the box office and power to make positive change.
"Everything else is a waste.
"There are a few ways to get there:
1. Let women organize the event. They’re more collaborative. They’re more inclusive, and they don’t generally bring the undertones of violence men do.
2 Appoint monitors, give them yellow, vests and whistles. At the first sign of violence, they blow the whistles and the real protester sit down.
Let the police take out their aggression on the anarchists and the provocateurs trying to discredit the movement.
3. Dress like you’re going to church. It’s hard to be painted as a hoodlum when you’re dressed in clean, presentable clothes.
They don’t have to be fancy they just signal the respect for the occasion that you want to transmit to the audience.
4. Make your protest silent. Demonstrate your discipline to the American people. Let signs do the talking.
5. Go home at night. In the dark, you can’t tell the cops from the killers. Come back at dawn fresh and rested.
"I have great fear that Trump’s staging with the National Guard and maybe the Marines is designed to clash with anarchists who are playing into his hands and offering him the opportunity to declare an insurrection.
"It’s such a waste and it’s only because we haven’t thought things through strategically.
"Nothing I thought of is particularly original.
"It was all learned by watching the early civil rights protests in the 50s and 60s.
"And it was the discipline and courage of African-Americans that drew such a clear line in the American sand that people were forced to take sides and that produced the civil rights act.
"The American people are watching and once again if we behave in ways that can be misinterpreted, we’ll see this explained to the public in Republican campaign videos benefiting the very people who started this.
"Wake up.
"Vent at home.
"In public practice discipline and self control.
"It takes much more courage."

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence:

Principle one: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil. It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Principle two: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation. The purpose of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

Principle three: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence recognises that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people. The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil, not people.

Principle four: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation. Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.

Principle five: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.

Principle six: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win. Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.

They Will Call You Violent (From "Violence in Social Movements"):

If your tactics disrupt the order of things under capitalism, you may well be accused of violence, because "violence" is an elastic term often deployed to vilify people who threaten the status quo. Conditions that the state characterizes as "peaceful" are, in reality, quite violent.

Even as people experience the violence of poverty, the torture of im-prisonment, the brutality of policing, the denial of health care, and many other violent functions of this system, we are told we are experiencing peace, so long as everyone is cooperating.

When state actors refer to "peace," they are really talking about order. And when they refer to "peaceful protest," they are talking about cooperative protest that obediently stays within the lines drawn by the state. The more uncooperative you are, the more you will be accused of aggression and violence. It is therefore imperative that the state not be the arbiter of what violence means among people seeking justice."

Addendum:

If you subscribe, you may want to read Robert Reich.