Syracuse prepares for 'No Kings' protest
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — Despite tensions heating up from coast to coast, Syracuse Police and event organizers are planning to make Saturday's 'No Kings' protest a peaceful one.
'We are very fortunate to be in a very intimate, small, personable city where we don't seem to see a lot of flare-ups,' Steve Simon, an organizer, said.
Sgt. Thomas Blake said that after a month of planning and gathering all the necessary information, they were ready to prepare for the nationwide event.
'There's nothing to indicate that there's any kind of plan for violence at all,' Sgt. Blake said.
Syracuse Police expect over 1,000 people to attend on Saturday at the Solar St. parking lots near Destiny USA from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
'We are prepared,' he said. 'We plan for these things. We reach out to the organizers…just to make sure that it's going to be seamless, find out what they need from us, and then we have a plan in order.'
Sgt. Blake said the police presence is not meant to spoil anybody's time during the event.
'We're there to just make sure everybody's being safe and responsible,' he said.
Simon is encouraging everyone in Central New York to attend to protest against President Donald Trump's policies on immigration.
'They're acting as if Trump is a king and that's really not an exaggeration,' he said. 'He's trying to act as if he is a king. So, this particular protest day is titled 'No Kings Day' and it's appropriate.'
Simon also urged everyone to come out and exercise their First Amendment right to free speech.
'We all believe in the rule of law,' he said. 'You can be a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn't matter which side of the aisle you're from or what your beliefs are, expect you should be supportive of the constitution.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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