October 23, 2025 by Seward Folly Staff

Seward joined cities across the country this past Saturday for No Kings Day, a day of protest that many are calling the largest in American history. In Seward, 173 people gathered along the 4th Avenue Boardwalk for what’s now the city’s 15th protest, their presence marked by a sea of handmade signs and quiet determination. The protest also made National News on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC Show.

As the afternoon began, participants gathered around the organizers for a moment of reflection and prayer for the communities in Western Alaska reeling from Typhoon Halong. Several speakers offered ways to support relief efforts, but soon the mood shifted as the crowd spread out along the boardwalk, signs in hand.

The messages on those signs ranged from blunt to poetic, united by the sense that something fundamental is at stake. “No one is Above the Law” and “Free Speech, No Lies” stood beside “Our Health is Our Wealth” and “Hands Off Health Care.” One woman’s poster, listing grievances against the Trump administration, read, “Stop *Cruelty *Lying *Cheating *Hate *Abuse.” She would have continued but ran out of red ink. Another protester, reacting to Republican Mike Johnson’s claim that the demonstration was “anti-American,” wrote a response that morning: “I LOVE America! I Hate what Trump is Doing to It.”

Some signs doubled as costumes. One participant wore a witch’s hat, explaining that the repeated “NO KINGS, NO KINGS, NO KINGS” on her poster was meant to cast a spell, not to celebrate Halloween early.

The reasons for showing up were as varied as the slogans themselves. Tara Butcher, a local, said there were simply “too many reasons” to count, but that gathering together was the only way to push back against changes she sees as damaging. Andrew Warner, a veteran from Anchorage, had come to help a friend with winterizing work; he missed the protest in his own city, but was glad to add his voice in Seward, particularly on the issue of the military becoming politicized.

As drivers passed, many slowed to read the signs; some honked, a few waved. It was a scene repeated in towns and cities all across the country, a patchwork of local voices threaded into something bigger.

For Seward, No Kings Day wasn’t about a single issue or a single message. It was about showing up, making yourself seen, and holding a sign for all to read.