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BASTROP — Voices of dissent will rise again in Bastrop as residents join a national protest movement opposing President Donald Trump.
The “No Kings” demonstration, set for June 14 from 10 a.m. to noon, will bring participants to the Bastrop Pedestrian Bridge over the Colorado River, where organizers say they will peacefully display signs and wave to passing traffic. The event is part of a nationwide day of action aimed at what organizers call the growing authoritarianism of Trump and his allies.
“This will be our second protest since Trump was elected,” said Mary Liz Singleton, communications chair for the Bastrop County Democratic Party. “We want people to know that even a bright red county like Bastrop has concerned citizens who strongly believe that the Trump administration is a disaster and getting worse.”
Organizers are coordinating the event in partnership with the Coalition of Democratic Allies, a local group that holds weekly protests every Thursday at noon at the intersection of Main and Chestnut streets in Bastrop. Both groups also helped organize the April 19 “Hands Off!” protest, which drew more than 200 participants to the bridge.
Participants are being asked to form a single file along the pedestrian walkway, staying behind the concrete barrier and keeping the path clear. Organizers emphasize the importance of nonviolence and have asked attendees not to engage with counter-protesters, even if met with gestures or verbal challenges.
“Remember what Michelle Obama said, ‘When they go low, we go high,’” Singleton told attendees in a planning message.
An off-duty police officer has been hired to provide security during the demonstration, she added.
The national “No Kings” campaign describes its mission as resisting what it sees as Trump’s efforts to consolidate power and undermine democratic institutions, including attacks on the judicial system, immigration policy and public education.
Organizers said the protest is meant to send a message: “No thrones, no crowns, no kings.”
In addition to the protest, the Coalition of Democratic Allies and the Bastrop County Democratic Party are co-hosting a Rural Texas Summit June 13–14 at the Bastrop Convention Center. The event will feature panels, strategy sessions and remarks from newly elected Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder.
More information on the protest and summit is available at bastropdemocrats.org.
