On Saturday, I joined the No Kings Day (NKD) protest in the US state of Pennsylvania. The mood was markedly different from the last protest I attended, in June. Last time, I felt afraid—using that word several times in my June dispatch. So much has changed since then.

This time, I felt the opposite: joy, excitement, relief. October is one of the best months in Pennsylvania, and it was a beautiful day for NKD. Traffic was slow for miles around the suburban location where I was headed, and at first I assumed it was for a fall festival. No—it was all No Kings Day traffic.

I really liked what Heather Cox Richardson said recently in a post called “The Tide Turned This Week.” That’s exactly what I felt on the ground today. Our rights no longer feel abstract or confined to the arcane world of court proceedings. Cox Richardson is always worth hearing, but her post about NKD offers a concise explanation of why it matters. The video runs just 2:53, but to quote one of my favorite lines: “There is nothing more American than standing against kings…We are ‘We the people’ standing against somebody who wants to be a king.” I felt that sense of, maybe not unity, but certainly commonality, today.

I walked both sides of the event, end to end, talking with many people. I met folks who were concerned but relaxed and friendly. The crowd ranged from families with infants, children, and dogs—so many dogs—to elderly participants. There were a few chants, all G-rated, but they didn’t last long. The color of the day was yellow, but I wore green to match my knit frog

Provided to JURIST.

hat, in solidarity with the protestors in Portland, Oregon dressed as frogs. A knit cap was too warm for the weather—duly noted—but it made sense to people and inspired some laughs. I heard lots of laughs today.

Most of the signs fell within a predictable range, though a few were funny. One read, “I love due process.” I’m a third-year law student, and while I like due process, “love” feels like a strong word.

More than anything, what I saw and heard today reminded me—loudly—that the First Amendment—the right to free speech and assembly—protects the rest of the Constitution. The right to free speech, and the implicit right to assemble, make everything else work. I’m a big fan of rights, which include the Second Amendment—the right to “bear arms.” In some circles, I hear that the Second Amendment protects the rest. I’m not seeing that to be true, but even if it is, any resistance to infringement would start with speech and assembly.

Provided to JURIST.

As before, there was a strong police presence, which I appreciated. I don’t assume I share political opinions with the officers (though I might) and regardless, today was more about the rule of law. When police asked us to clear the street, or event staff reminded us to stay off private property, it wasn’t a big deal. It was the law.

I saw four counter-protestors. There were likely more, but my favorite was the guy who stopped his Donald Trump-flag-covered truck every few blocks to yell, “ICE, ICE baby!” The First Amendment gives you the right to quote the 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice (real name Robert Matthew Van Winkle)—and for Van Winkle to call himself Vanilla Ice. (By the way, he settled the copyright infringement case with Queen privately, out of court. Copyright infringement is not a First Amendment right.)

The truck draped in a Trump flag kept driving up and down the route. That was his right—to assemble with us. Many others joined NKD the same way, circling, honking, waving, and flying flags and signs in support of the event. They were part of it too. It can be hard to stand for two hours, especially in a knit frog hat. I heard and saw no anger, no conflict. People assembled and spoke freely—and that is America.

Provided to JURIST.

Provided to JURIST.