Demonstrators gathered in dozens of communities across New Hampshire on Saturday — including Manchester, Keene, Portsmouth, Colebrook and more — to protest the Trump administration.
The rallies were part of the nationwide No Kings movement, which drew crowds to similar demonstrations around the country this weekend.
Lisa Garcia, of Hillsborough, said she attended the No Kings rally in Concord in support of freedom and democracy, and because she’s anti-Trump. She said she believes there are no checks and balances in the federal government right now.
“Americans are decent people. We always have been," Garcia said. "I think deep down inside we always are going to be, but we’ve gone sideways in this country to the point it’s sickening and it’s sad.”
She said she recently witnessed an arrest by ICE in Hooksett.
“It was horrible to watch," Garcia said. "I had two little kids with me, they were terrified. It’s wrong.”
Rev. Jean Beniste, with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Concord, also attended the event. Originally from Haiti, said he is concerned about the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“When I’m thinking about immigration, it is a biblical fundamental, because [of] Matthew 25: ‘When you welcome the stranger you do it for me.’ That is not me saying that this is Jesus Christ," he said. "This is why I am here and this is what matters for me, and I would like to see us as a country deal with the diversity of people from all over.”
Jas Martinez, of Hillsborough, said one of the reasons she came to protest in Concord is President Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender people, like herself.
“Telling people they don’t exist, that’s just not right,” she said. “We exist and we’ve been existing for centuries, and all of a sudden there’s somebody in the Oval Office who doesn’t like us for some reason.”
“I’ve never seen this many people in Concord ever,” Lachapell said.
Anderson is a professional violinist and brought her 5-string viola to play for the crowds.
“Telling people they don’t exist, that’s just not right,” she said. “We exist and we’ve been existing for centuries, and all of a sudden there’s somebody in the Oval Office who doesn’t like us for some reason.”
Kai Lachapell said he’s disappointed to see the direction the country’s heading, and he was happy to see how many other people were protesting in Concord.
“I’ve never seen this many people in Concord ever,” he said.
Autumn Anderson said she isn’t very political, but she thinks the current administration is tyrannical and there needs to be a change.
“The racism he’s shown to anyone who’s not white has affected my many community of friends, and it upsets me because those affect the people I love and care about," she said. "And what Donald Trump is doing, especially to all the minorities, is quite frankly unfair and cruel and it’s kind of bringing Nazi Germany vibes."
Anderson is a professional violinist and brought her 5-string viola to play for the crowds in Concord.
“I thought what better time to use my musical ability and skill, but to help protest and to communicate how this country feels," she said. "And what better way to be a bard and to raise the spirits of everyone, to unite everyone with music,” Anderson said.
Greg Champlin, of Henniker, says the last time he attended a demonstration was in 1970, when he protested the Vietnam War.
“This is worse than Vietnam,” Champlin said. “Vietnam only affected a few of us, this affects all of us.”
He said there are so many things the Trump administration is doing that he thinks are wrong, including ICE detentions without due process, that it’s hard to keep up.
“The biggest thing that frustrates me is that they have so many balls up in the air that you can’t keep track of one thing," he said.
Nancy Evans, of Concord, showed up with her son Luca.
“I’m appalled at what is happening in this country. I mean it’s such a list: immigration issues, what ICE is doing to people, the way Trump is just taking over the country, the lack of respect for the rule of law, it just goes on and on. “
Evans said she protested against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and in support of civil rights. She says people need to be out and standing up against Trump.
“I just worry about all the people, my neighbors, who are being detained for no reason,” Evans said.
