Locally, the action kicked off at 11 a.m. in Lake Placid, where a crowd of around 300 rallied at Mid’s Park to hear from a slate of speakers, and then at 3 p.m. in Saranac Lake, where around 900 demonstrators lined River Street. The crowds were there to show and voice their displeasure with a president whom they feel is acting like a king. There were signs, American flags and even the occasional costume, which ranged from Revolutionary War garb to green dinosaurs.

The speakers in Lake Placid represented organized labor, marginalized social groups and political activism. A common theme from the podium was the repudiation of the charge leveled by prominent national Republicans that the “No Kings” protests were unpatriotic, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, dubbing it the “Hate America Rally.”

Adirondack Voters for Change President Kary Johnson, who spoke at the Lake Placid rally, said it’s “deeply American” to say no to kings.

“Our country was never meant to be ruled by one person, or by money or by fear,” she said. “It was founded on the idea that the power belongs to the people. The Constitution isn’t an artifact in a museum. It’s a living promise that we renew every time we care for a neighbor, stand up for fair pay or speak truth in the public square, like we’re doing today.”

Bridie Farrell, of Lake Placid, speaks at Mid’s Park in Lake Placid on Saturday for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide set of protests against the Trump Administration. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

Laura Franz, the president of the Albany Public School Teachers Association and a teacher, echoed that sentiment namely that the protest sought to speak truth to power.

“I am a public school teacher, a union leader, a mom to two amazing young men with disabilities — and just for the record, I am not a domestic terrorist,” she said as cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. “I say that because lately, people like us: educators, caregivers, workers and union members are being treated like enemies just for standing up for what’s right.

“But we know the truth,” she continued. “We are the people holding this country together, and for the most vulnerable amongst us — we are the ones asking the government to keep its promises.”

Franz focused on the looming Medicaid cuts under President Donald J. Trump’s signature piece of legislation so far in his second term, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” officially Public Law 119-21, which was signed on July 4. The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan agency within the legislative branch that projects the fiscal impacts of congressional actions, estimated that the law will cut around $911 billion from Medicaid by 2034, and increase the number of uninsured Americans by about 10 million.

The majority of this comes from work requirements for the Affordable Care Act expansion group, limiting states’ ability to raise the state share of Medicaid revenues through provider taxes, restricting state-directed payments to hospitals, nursing facilities and other providers and increasing barriers to enrolling in and renewing Medicaid coverage, according to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan health care policy research organization.

Demonstrators are seen in Mid’s Park in Lake Placid on Saturday for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide set of protests against the Trump Administration. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

“They’re not trimming fat,” Franz said. “They’re cutting into the very bones of our communities. When Medicaid is cut, millions lose coverage. Children, seniors, veterans and working families. It means students with disabilities lose access to life-changing therapies and the school nurses who keep them safe. It means home health aides can’t afford to care for the elderly, infirm who depend on them. It means rural hospitals, already hanging on by a thread, may have to close their doors.

“It means fewer counselors and mental health support when our schools and communities need them the most,” she continued. “We’re told there’s not enough (money). Not enough for health care, not enough for education, not enough for workers — all while the wealthiest corporations cash in on record profits and (historically low) tax rates.”

Franz said the rhetoric around cuts to social programs doesn’t square with the law’s fiscal implications. The Congressional Budget Office also estimating that it will add about $3.4 trillion to the national debt by 2034 — the savings from Medicaid and other social program cuts more than offset by the decreases to government revenue through tax cuts and extensions of current income and corporate tax cuts that Trump enacted in his first term.

“So today, let’s tell the truth,” Franz said. “This isn’t about scarcity. This isn’t about balancing budgets. This is about power. And we’re here to remind them today that power belongs to the people who keep this country running.”

Crime, abuse and exploitation survivors’ advocate Bridie Farrell addressed the “No Kings” crowd in Lake Placid. Farrell pushed for New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which was signed into law in 2022. Among other measures, it allowed alleged victims of sexual assault for whom the statute of limitations had passed to file civil lawsuits during a one-year “lookback window,” which lasted from Nov. 24, 2022, to Nov. 24, 2023.

New York City Council Member and Wilmington native Erik Bottcher speaks at Mid’s Park in Lake Placid on Saturday for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide set of protests against the Trump Administration. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

“That might ring a bell to you,” she said. “Because that is what E. Jean Carroll used. And that is what we used against Prince Andrew. And that is what is leading to things like releasing the Epstein files.”

Loud applause screams to “Release the files!” broke out from the audience. As Farrell continued her remarks, she said it was a dark and depressing political landscape, but that there was strength to be drawn from unity.

“Look around. Look at all the people that are here,” Farrell said. “I spoke up. I was just one person who spoke up and said, ‘No, no, no, no. A**holes need to be held accountable.’ And so do not despair. Do not lose hope. Because let me tell you, it can be lonely there — but don’t give up. Three more years of this (administration) and then we start recovering from this. So whoever you are and whatever you are passionate about, don’t let them take that from you.”

New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, D-Chelsea, spoke after Farrell. A Wilmington native, he expanded on the need for those in attendance to translate the rally’s energy into results at the ballot box.

“Let’s go out from today and build on the energy that we feel today,” he said. “And in next year’s election, we’re going to take back the House of Representatives. We’re going to take back the United States Senate. And then we’re going to take back the White House and we’re going to ensure that no one like Donald Trump ever gets power in our country ever again.”

The Lake Placid protest remained entirely peaceful. There were law enforcement officers from the Lake Placid Village Police and Essex County Sheriff departments on hand, along with a dozen or so members of a “safety team,” event organizers who had received training in de-escalation tactics in case things became heated between people with different viewpoints — though such intervention was never needed.

Friends Jane Haug and Jeri Zempel came from Upper Jay and Keene, respectively, to attend the “No Kings” protest in Lake Placid. Haug felt that while some actions of, and protests against, the Trump Administration may seem unique to today, she said it’s nothing new in the broader arc of history.

“We can’t just say, ‘Oh, we’re too tired,’ or ‘Oh, this is too much.’ No,” she said. “People have done this for generations, and that’s why I’m here. I’m like, ‘Get your butt over here. Your ancestors fought to come here and to work hard and you’ve got to make sure it doesn’t go away.'”

Zempel thought gathering in person was an important reminder for people that there’s a large group that shares these beliefs.

“I think we all have to realize that this is a very small group of very mean-spirited, authoritarian people trying to take over our government,” Zempel said. “And we have to remind ourselves that they are the minority.”

Bob Ladoucer, a New York State United Teachers union political action coordinator, said it was nice to see unity from so many fields of labor at the Lake Placid rally.

“It was great to see the solidarity,” he said. “It was great to see people bringing American flags with them because we’re often told that maybe we are not (patriotic) — and that is so opposite the truth. We are here to just be part of a community that just believes in common sense.”

Johnson said the turnout in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid was electrifying, and her favorite part of the day was the community engagement aspect. Despite being a rural area, Johnson said people here are paying attention and aren’t afraid to make their feelings known.

“People here feel strongly about having a voice in our government and making sure our government works for us and we use our democratic principles,” she said. “I think it’s a real statement and a real example of how strong and connected we are to so many people’s American values.”