For the second time in a matter of months, thousands of people around Vermont on Saturday took to the streets as part of a massive nationwide “No Kings” protest against President Donald Trump and his administration.

Some 50 Vermont cities and towns, from Vergennes and Underhill to St. Albans and Chester, held official protests. At each, dozens or in some cases thousands of people massed in green spaces and along busy thoroughfares to sing songs, wave signs and American flags, and voice their opposition to the way Trump has lead the country during his first nine months in office.

The largest gatherings by far were in Montpelier, where thousands of protesters filled the Statehouse lawn to listen to speakers, and Burlington, where separate groups of marchers converged on downtown City Hall Park for a colorful, musical and somewhat joyous gathering of community.

Creative signs and costumes were abundant among the throngs of people.

In South Burlington, dozens of people holding “No Kings” signs crowded onto a narrow sidewalk along Patchen Road at the Interstate 89 overpass. Most were over 40, with some exceptions, including a man and a woman with two toddlers. They made giant bubbles that floated over the crowd.

A woman wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume would not give her name. “My husband is an immigrant so I’d rather not,” she said. “I’m glad I can represent both of us today. We thought a green card would be enough safety for us.”

Her costume, she said, was a nod to “what’s happening in Portland. I think that humor and silliness seem to be really effective against this administration.”

Another woman who declined to give her name described herself as a member of the “inflatable rebellion.” She wanted to show up with humor — “no anger, no hate, to stand up for integrity.” A nurse, she said she turned down an overtime shift for double pay to be there.

She’s from Thailand and grew up in a country with a king — a good one, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who united the country. Not like Trump, she said. “I want this to be a wake-up call. That’s what I’m here for.”

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The “No Kings” demonstrations were under intense scrutiny from right-wing media and Trump administration officials, who dismissively referred to the gatherings as “Hate America” rallies. But the scene at the Statehouse was filled with American flags, children playing and smiling faces.

Prior to the demonstrations, an email from “No Kings” organizers briefed protesters on etiquette for the day. Stand two feet back from the street curb and keep sidewalks clear, it read. Smile and wave at any potential hecklers or disruptors, and put down signs and step back when an ambulance or fire truck passes, the instructions said. There were no signs of anything amiss at the Montpelier rally, which went off without a hitch.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) was the first speaker to take the stage on the Statehouse steps. “We need less Trump and more Vermont values in Washington,” Welch said to cheers. He invoked Matthew Lyon, a Vermont senator who was sent to jail in the 1790s for criticizing the president, only to be reelected by Vermonters.

A young child in a firefighter costume popped bubbles blown by protesters wearing inflatable animal suits as speakers took their turn at the podium. One demonstrator in a gray flying squirrel suit held a sign that read “Antifa” in stylish cursive, a reference to the Trump administration’s rhetoric about the antifascist group in Portland, Ore.

Introduced as a “fearless, feisty, ferocious fascist-fighting motorcycle mama from Brattleboro,” U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) began her speech with a call-and-response chant of “No Kings, No Tyrants, No Dictators!”

“They’re trying to reframe this, and that’s because they’re scared,” Balint said. “We don’t hate America, Donald Trump. We just can’t stand what you have done to our country!”

Nikhil Goyal, a sociologist and former senior policy advisor for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), spoke to the crowd about the impact of Trump’s policies in Vermont. The crowd booed when Goyal made reference to state Sen. Sam Douglass (R-Orleans), who was outed this week by Politico for participating in a racist and sexist group chat of national Young Republicans.

After days of intense political pressure to resign, Douglass announced on Friday that he would step down effective Monday at noon.

Geri Peterson, lead organizer of 50501 Vermont, sang an original song while trans flags were passed out in the crowd. “Our existence, our basic biology, has been turned into a political talking point,” Petersen said of the Trump administration’s attacks on trans rights. “Behind every headline is another person trying to survive another day,” she said.

“It’s OK to feel overwhelmed about these things, but worrying does not have to be the end of the story,” Clara White, a 14-year-old student at Montpelier High School, said from the podium. “People my age, we’re not just sitting around waiting. We’re more connected than generations before us.”

Rae Carter of Plainfield was also at the first No Kings rally in June. She attended Saturday’s Statehouse protest adorned in bright colors, including a neon green wig. “Things have gotten worse, and the power is with the people,” she said. “Transformation and change is something that requires all of us.”

Loretta Gaidys came from Barre to protest. “I have a lot of relatives that are in the service, and I just look at the man that is leading this country, and it scares the hell out of me,” she said.

Isaac Jensen, a construction and excavation business owner from the Northeast Kingdom, took the stage “to reject the current subversion of American patriotism and the assertion that, because we refuse to allow them to seize unlimited power, we are somehow anti-American.”

As the last speaker, he led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance.

Cathy Resmer contributed reporting.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Sebastian Törnqvist scored his first career game-winner 1:24 into overtime and Aiden Wright made a career-high 45 saves to lead Vermont in a 2-1 win over St. Cloud State at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Friday night.

RELATED LINKS

Box Score

Highlights

Postgame with Owen Gund: Coach Moser

 

COACH’S QUOTE

“It was a good road win,” said Head Coach Steve Wiedler. “The boys bent but didn’t break. Aiden Wright was an ultra-competitor. Cédrick scores a big PP goal. Proud of our guys right down to the final game-winning play.”

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Friday’s game opened with two full St. Cloud State power plays in the opening five minutes. Wright made five saves on the two extra-man opportunities. He made 12 saves in the first period as neither team found the scoresheet in the opening 20.
• The Catamounts got on the board first on the power play with 4:02 to play in the middle frame. Colin Kessler won a faceoff clean back to Caeden Herrington. Herrington passed along the point to Cédrick Guindon and he rifled a slapshot home for his first collegiate goal.
• St. Cloud State responded with its own power play tally 4:57 into the third period. Some quick cross-ice passing left Tyson Gross alone in the slot and he beat Wright with a snapshot just under the crossbar for his first goal of the campaign.
• Both teams would head to overtime for the first time this season. In overtime Gross fired a shot that was blocked by Max Strand and sent the Catamounts in the other direction. Törnqvist and Kessler skated into the St. Cloud State zone on a two-on-one. Kessler fired a shot hard and low that created a rebound that popped right to Törnqvist who tapped home the winner into an empty net for the Catamounts.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Aiden Wright is the first Catamounts goaltender to make 40+ saves in a game since Gabe Carriere made 42 at Providence on Oct. 27, 2023.
• Wright’s .953 save percentage is seventh in the NCAA after Friday’s action, his 1.68 goals-against average is 12th.
• With Colin Kessler’s two assists this evening he has points in four straight games dating back to last year. It is the longest point streak of his career. He has four assists in three games this season.
• Co-Captain Philip Törnqvist led the Catamounts with three blocked shots Friday night, including two in quick succession on a UVM penalty kill in the second period.
• Vermont had another strong night at the faceoff dot Friday winning 39 of the 72 draws (54.2%). UVM is fifth in the NCAA winning 56.0% of their faceoffs.
• With this evening’s 2-1 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $100 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $50 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men’s and women’s team scores this season.
• With tonight’s Win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to the Lund Family Center through the Cat’s Win, Community Win’s initiative. Vermont Mutual has donated over $5 Million Dollars since launching their Charitable Giving Fund in 2014.

UP NEXT
The two clubs will face off again at 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday. As always, the game will air live on WVMT (96.3 FM/620 AM) with the voice of the Catamounts Owen Gund on the call. The action will also be streamed live on NCHC.TV. A daily pass is available for $16.95.

For news and updates about the Vermont men’s hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.