‘No Kings’ protest fills downtown

by Peter O'Neil, June 18, 2025, Needham Observer

Hundreds of “No Kings” protestors from Needham and beyond filled the sidewalks around the town common on the afternoon of June 14, carrying homemade signs and breaking into frequent chants, all expressing intense disagreement with various policies and actions taken by President Trump in his second term.

The Needham protest was one of more than 2,000 events held across the nation which were estimated to have attracted more than 5 million participants. The Needham crowd was loud but not raucous throughout most of the 90 minutes or so they spent lining both sides of Great Plain Avenue and spilling over to portions of Highland Avenue, Dedham Avenue and Chapel Street.

Aerial images provided from a drone indicate there were in excess of 1,000 people in attendance. Needham Police monitored the event but did not add to their standard Saturday staffing levels.

“We got a much bigger crowd than we expected, and we were very happy about it, thrilled with the enthusiasm of the people there as well as the people driving by,” said Stacie Shapiro, the lead organizer of the event.

Asked if she’d characterize the event as a protest or a rally, Shapiro said, “I would call it a protest, although it’s a little bit of both.”

Attendees carried signs that called out a number of Trump policies, most commonly immigration policies and related raids and deportations. Others were critical of the use of active-duty military to respond to protests, executive overreach and the erosion of civil liberties. (See slide show below.)

Shapiro described the “No Kings” movement as a decentralized, grassroots movement with a number of affiliate groups, including the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.” 

50501 is a coalition of more than 150 progressive, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ+, and women’s rights organizations. It has provided support to the nationwide activity in opposition to Trump.

“They just came into being in, like, January when he was inaugurated,” Shapiro said. “They’re all over the country now. It’s just mind-blowing how quickly it happened. But that’s because there’s so much interest in stopping the president.”

Shapiro said she connected with 50501 and made use of its Mobilize.us platform to organize and promote the Needham event.

A common purpose

This was not the first time the area around the common was home to anti-Trump activity. For more than a month, protesters have been gathering in front of the common on Wednesday evenings from 4:45 to 5:45 to demonstrate their opposition to Trump policies.

“We get about 30 to 40 people,” said Gerry Rovner, a local attorney and Vietnam Army veteran who helped initiate the Wednesday gatherings.

“The first time I went in to tell the police department that I was going to hold these Wednesday events, the officer at the desk said. ‘Oh, you don’t need anything. We still believe in the First Amendment in this town.’”

“I figured the next step was to do the same thing, only better organized,” he said. “And I found Stacie Shapiro and began working with her because she has a lot more experience in putting together these sorts of things.”

The “No Kings” event featured a brief speaking portion during which state Rep. Josh Tarsky offered his support for the cause.

“It’s a real honor to be a part of this crowd who is doing a great service to our civil rights and our First Amendments rights, which for many at this time feel like they’re being attacked.”

“I’ve only been in the job since January, but the concerns that I’ve been hearing from the constituents are somewhat abnormal to ordinary business, whether it’s attacks to Medicaid, Medicare, our climate, our universities, the tariffs and how they’ll affect our business, immigration and the problems around due process.”

“And I would say that the concerns are valid, that right now, these times do not seem ordinary,” he added.

Shapiro said she and others will continue to advance the “No Kings” agenda in Needham. She said planning is in process for a July 17 event, Good Trouble Lives On, which she describes as “a day of action memorializing John Lewis,” the late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon.

Shapiro said she is working with local real estate agent Bill Paulson, who attended the June 14 protest and plans to remain involved.

“It just isn’t right what the government is doing right now ﹘ in particular regarding immigrants that have been in this country for a long time and contribute to our culture and economy,” Paulson said of his motivation. 

“When I saw the info on the ‘No Kings’ protest, I reached out to Gerry and Stacie to see how I could help. If we can continue to protest in increasing numbers, it will make a difference.”

Drone's eye view of Needham "No Kings" demonstration on June 14./ Credit: Ed Quinlan