Protesters gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall and at nine satellite election offices on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement, with demonstrations to encourage early voting and increased civic engagement ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Demonstrators held signs urging residents to vote early and denouncing the federal administration, the war in Iran, and calling for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Though many protesters were older adults, the event also highlighted the nation’s future and the importance of young activists and voters.
Wendy Forman, 79, has been an activist since she was 15 years old. She views technology and social media as tools that can help young people learn about political issues and make their voices heard.
“If there had been the internet back in the day, the Vietnam War probably would have been over a lot sooner. Technology helps people find out what’s going on,” she said.
She said that in her youth, protests were organized by mailing posters, whereas mobilizing people is much more efficient now due to social media. For Forman, attending protests such as No Kings and encouraging early voting are ways to advocate for future generations.
“I’m old … we’re on our way out. I feel terrible about the world that I’m leaving for my children and grandchildren but all of the stuff that’s being done is being done without my permission, and [this is] about the best I can do,” she said.
Several protesters said they were hopeful the upcoming midterms would change the course of American politics. Unlike other “No Kings” protests, this demonstration aimed to mobilize voters to elect more Democrats in November.
Jacob and Mia, two 21-year-olds who asked that their last names be withheld for privacy, hadn’t known about the protest beforehand but learned about it while at Jefferson Station and decided to take part.
For Mia, the stakes went beyond just the upcoming election. She said preserving democracy was a major reason she wanted to participate.
“The state of our democracy … is not standing and that is something I personally really want to preserve. It’s what makes the country so great, it’s what brings people together,” Mia said.
Jacob said seeing protesters across generations challenged stereotypes about older people and political ideology. He saw their presence as a sign that people from different generations shared concerns about the country’s future.
“It certainly helps with the stereotype that a lot of conservatives are older people or that mostly older people are conservatives. It’s really nice to hear that [older protestors] actually do care about our future, which is something that you really cannot say for our president right now,” he said.
Jacob also views social media as a beneficial method of rallying young voters. He said online platforms helped publicize the protests.
“I don’t think [“No Kings”] would have the publicity it has right now without social media,” Jacob said.
He said climate change and the war in Iran were among his top concerns heading into the midterms. He said he hopes that electing more Democrats into Congress could change the government’s approach to both issues.
