“We walk, we sing, we shout, no more kings,” was the signature chant for an estimated 405 protesters at Honesdale’s third No Kings rally on March 28. Chanting and singing, young and old, they carried homemade signs and some beat drums, taking a peaceful stand against what they view as tyrannical actions of President Donald J. Trump.
“I’m here because everything happening in our country effects every U.S. citizen,” said Kyleigh Rothmond of Damascus.
Dominic Germin, also of Damascus, said, “I’m here because I have to do something to stop this madness. Every day it gets worse. The man needs to be impeached. I want this country to get back to what it was. America [already] was great.”
They started and ended the march at the Fred R. Miller Pavilion on Main Street.
One of the organizers, Julie Pease, expressed a list of rules to the crowd under the pavilion before they marched. She stressed the need to cross only at the crosswalks, walk on the curb side and leave a 4-foot passage for nonparticipants walking by and for anyone patronizing businesses, and encouraged them to shop local.
Concerns were voiced March 23 at the Honesdale Borough Council meeting by Wayne County Republican Committeeman Peter Quaglia over the noise of the large crowd and being too much for the sidewalk. He suggested the park as a more appropriate venue.
One of the rumors floating on Facebook after the previous two No Kings rallies in 2025 was that participants were being paid and bused in from other areas to attend. Mayor Derek Williams countered that and other rumors during the meeting.
Just before the crowd began its march, a bus pulled up alongside the pavilion – at the bus parking sign. A small handful of people got off, who were met by others and walked away. Pease said later in an interview what a coincidence that was, adding that no one is bused in to attend, and no one is paid.
Several people rhythmically beat drums to the rally chant, although there was no excessively loud music heard during the first hour. Borough police stopped traffic at the crosswalk at Seventh Street for people to cross as the crowd went on its slow walk, carrying signs and singing as they went up Main to 10th Street and then down Church Street to Seventh and back to the pavilion.
Wayne County residents Richard Fairbanks and Pamela Arnold came dressed with black three-corner hats and yellow shirts saying, “Don’t tread on me.” Fairbanks played the oboe and Arnold beat a drum. He said they planned to dress this way to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, although they both find it ironic they come to this American milestone with a presidential administration, in their view, acting like a tyrant and treading on the American people.
Pease said they are happy with the estimated crowd of 405, counted by volunteers as they crossed the street. She noted there are more rallies this year, and others may have gone to ones closer to home. She proudly stressed that there were over 100 rallies planned in Pennsylvania that day and over 3,000 nationwide. There were an estimated 550 participating in Honesdale’s rally last October.
Upon their return, at around 2 p.m., there was some more hearty patriotic signing, and participants were starting to leave.
