Nearly 1,600 people rallied in opposition to the Trump administration Saturday in Flagstaff — the same day the first shots were fired with the start of the American Revolution 250 years ago.
The rally was one of 14 across Arizona and nearly 700 held across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The anniversary of 1775’s Battles of Lexington and Concord was on the mind of Flagstaff resident Karen Mahosky who held a sign that read “no kings.”
“We fought our revolutionary war to get out from under a monarchy,” Mahosky says. “They want us to feel overwhelmed so that we just give up. But we can't give up. Democracy is too important. We’ve had many people in the past die for what they’re trying to destroy.”
Mahosky says she has attended several rallies this year.
“Because we're losing our government, our traditional democracy. It's very scary what's happening right now,” Mahosky says. “We've been retired; we have always been involved in our community. We've lived here for over 40 years and we need to be good citizens and we need to stand up for what we believe is right.”
Organizers of the protest compared the administration's recent tariffs to 18th-century British taxes on tea, and say the administration is eroding American values such as the right to due process.
Flagstaff City Councilmember Austin Aslan also attended the rally and says he worries about the impact a potential loss in federal grant funding will have on the city.
"You know, I've been elected to fix potholes. I know my place. But fixing potholes requires federal funds. That's how we get it done," Aslan says. “We're already in our budget process and I will tell you in my six years on City Council, we have brought in well over $60 million in federal funding for the city. A lot of the projects that are going on right now have those funds tied up.”
