By Ron Klopfanstein, 95.5 FM “The Heat”
On an overcast Flag Day at Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York—a site steeped in Revolutionary War history—hundreds gathered not to celebrate, but to protest. They came under the banner of the No Kings movement, a nationwide response to what organizers and attendees describe as grave threats to American democracy under the Trump Administration.
“This is a revolutionary war fort,” said Carolyn DeJohn, one of the organizers. “And today we're here to defend our Constitution and say there's no kings in America—just like so many of our ancestors did.”
The symbolism of the location was deliberate, echoing the anti-monarchical sentiment that gave birth to the nation. But for many in attendance, this wasn’t just a symbolic protest. It was a deeply personal reckoning with the present.
“This is only the second protest of my 65 years,” one woman told me. “My grandparents fled fascist Europe to come here. They are rolling in their graves right now.”
Across Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties, similar gatherings took place—each one a quiet but powerful rebuke of what many described as creeping authoritarianism.
For Ari, a young resident of Herkimer, the protest marked a turning point. “I’m surprised by the turnout,” she said. “There’s been a lot of support—people honking, waving, showing up. As a young person, I’m scared. Trump’s taking away Medicaid. He’s hurting families, immigrants. We need to speak up.”
Her words echoed those of a former ESL program director who recalled seeing her students—immigrants and refugees—targeted and marginalized. “It’s ignorance,” she said. “A complete lack of curiosity, a lack of interest in other cultures. People are being detained while trying to do the right thing. That’s not America.”
For military veterans in the crowd, the moment struck a different nerve.
Aaron, a Navy veteran, was blunt: “Our oath is to the Constitution, not to the president. Unless there's a declaration of insurrection, using the military against citizens is unconstitutional. It’s an illegal order. We are trained to refuse those.”
Cindy, a former officer in both the Air Force and Navy, was equally disturbed. “When I saw the Marines at Fort Bragg cheering the president, I felt sick. That would never have happened before,” she said. “You should not have the military out among civilians. Armed. In the streets. Something bad is going to happen.”
Some voices at the protest came from unexpected places.
Sam, a Herkimer resident, admitted he voted for Trump in 2020. But not this time.
“I was only listening to news I agreed with. I wouldn’t consider anything that criticized him,” he said. That changed when he met his girlfriend, who challenged his views and encouraged him to research beyond his comfort zone. “I realized Trump just wants power. He doesn’t care about people. He doesn’t care about us.”
Now, Sam finds himself having the same hard conversations with his friends, many of whom, he believes, are beginning to wake up too.
“I try to get them to just listen to what Trump says. Is it loving? Is it kind? Is it Christian? And then look at the bills he pushes—do they help people, or hurt them? It’s not about party anymore. It’s about who we are.”
In Herkimer, where a separate rally was underway, another protester held his young daughter close and spoke about Roe v. Wade. “When I found out I had a baby girl, my first thought was—thank God we live in New York. But what if she wants to live somewhere else one day? Somewhere her rights don’t exist?”
The protest wasn't without tension. One woman reported being told by a counter-protester, “I hope one of those immigrants marries your children.”
Her response? “Me too.”
In all, the message from the protesters was clear: this is not normal. This is not sustainable. And this is not the America they recognize.
From veterans to young activists, first-time protesters to former Trump supporters, the voices raised on Flag Day spoke not from partisan talking points but from a place of moral urgency. They gathered to reclaim the Constitution—not just as a document, but as a living promise.
At the end of the day, those I interviewed seemed to return again and again to the same haunting questions:
How long will this go on?
And how bad will it get?
Ron Klopfanstein is an award-winning multimedia investigative journalist, news and producer for 95.5 FM “The Heat” broadcast and streaming.
He hosts Hot Seat: Media Monday every Monday at 5 pm, broadcast on 95.5 FM and streaming at 955TheHeat.com.
Podcasts at: https://open.spotify.com/show/4nbrIF49K56OxbPljuw1Lv?si=7e000e7279f54c2a
Like him at Facebook.com/ReadRonKlopfanstein
Follow him at Bsky.app/profile/ronklopfanstein.bsky.social, Threads.net/@RonKlopfanstein, Instagram.com/RonKlopfanstein, Tiktok.com/@ronklopfanstein
Subscribe to his channel at YouTube.com/@RonKlopfanstein. Read all his work at Muckrack.com/ron-klopfanstein.
