The messages condemning President Donald Trump and what protestors perceive as his authoritarian leanings were great in number, but so were those proclaiming love for America as some 2,000-plus people came out to be heard at the No Kings Day demonstration in front of East Hampton Town Hall on Saturday, October 18. The event was among some 2,700 protests in small towns and big cities alike around the country, and even the world — including several around the East End — as record numbers, to the tune of 7 million people, came out to speak against Trump and his policies.
In East Hampton, the gathering kicked off with speeches from local Democratic officials and outspoken residents before moving to the street where the day took on a celebratory vibe as cars passed honking in support, people cheered and maintained a peaceful assembly throughout. The closest thing to a clash with police observed was when one woman who chose to picket with her “SOS USA” sign on the south side of Montauk Highway — instead of the north where the bulk of protestors stood behind barricades — was asked by police to move and refused, but the officer relented and allowed her to stay in the spot.
