Thousands turned up on Saturday as part of the nationwide "No Kings" protest against President Trump. (Jonathan House / Portland Tribune)

More than 1,500 people took to the streets in Gresham last weekend as part of a mass nationwide protest against President Donald Trump and the current administration’s policies.

No Kings Indivisible Community Rally was held Saturday morning, June 14. It began at Gresham City Hall and then marched along Eastman Parkway from Burnside to Civic Drive. The march coincided with Trump’s military parade and birthday celebration on Flag Day. That day was the Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday. He had previously spoken of waning to hold a military parade to mark the occasion.

The messaging from organizers and attendees: “The president is not a king.” The crowd was peaceful and persistent. Signs denounced Trump’s actions, with a focus on his anti-immigrant statements, roundups of immigrants here both illegally and legally, and decision to put the National Guard and U.S. Marines on the streets of Los Angeles.

Other highlights were women’s and LGBTQ+ rights; Palestine; and cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Rep. Zach Hudson, D-Troutdale, recited a spoken-word poem in Gresham.

Other speakers included Heather Coleman-Cox, founder of Multnomah East Indivisible Group; Catherine Caruso; Salome Chimuku, Multnomah County Democrats chair; Pat Delaquil, district leader for House 49/50; Carla Hanson, former chair of Multnomah County Democrats; and Juliette Kudrick, student at Portland State University.

The Gresham Police Department confirmed there were no incidents of violence or vandalism connected to the rally.

The Gresham rally was part of many in the region. An estimated 50,000 turned out in Portland at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Beaverton, Newberg and Canby also had marches.