No Kings rally planned in downtown Greybull

The first No Kings rally in Big Horn County will be held Saturday in Greybull, where organizers are planning a peaceful, one-hour demonstration starting at noon.

Tom Harrington, a retired judge, characterized it as a pro-democracy “sign and wave” being put together by a few citizens with concerns about the direction of the nation and state, many of whom have attended No Kings rallies in other communities.

“We’re just going to be by the side of the road (north of the stoplight) — and we’re not having speakers or anything like that,” he said.

“Everyone has a little different issue they’re concerned about — public lands, public schools, overreach by the federal government and legislature into our local control, the library issue, those types of things.”

More than 1,000 No Kings rallies are planned across the nation on Saturday.  The full list, which can be found at www.nokings.org, details 19 rallies in Wyoming, including Thermopolis (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Cody (10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the Big Horn Basin.  People planning to attend may, but are not required to, RSVP on the No Kings website.

A core principal behind all No Kings events is “a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”

Harrington said demonstrators will be lined up on both sides of Sixth Street, from the stop light to First Avenue North.  No one will stand in front of any business that is open.

Harrington said organizers shared their plans with the Greybull Police Department, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and the town attorney.

In addition to the “sign and wave,” there will be a strong push to get people signed up to vote, Harrington said.  “That’s one of our biggest advocacies. For the last primary, turnout was 27 percent.”

Harrington ended, “A lot of people are going to be there, myself included, because of my faith and belief that how we treat people matters.  Every person is made in the image of God.  They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of what they did.”