Thousands take part in Tucson’s ‘No Kings’ protests

Bill Buckles, who came to the Reid Park protest with his Trump piñata wearing a “Dunce” hat, the “only crown he’s ever deserved,” said he wouldn’t be letting anyone beat it open.

“We don’t know what’s inside it, but we know it’s vile, whatever it is,” Buckles said. “We don’t want to expose the entire community to his vile sh–.”

Buckles said it isn’t a singular issue that brought him to the protest Saturday, or the five protests he’s been to since President Donald Trump was elected for a second time, “it’s everything he does.”

“I don’t like any of his policies. He tried to steal an election five years ago now, how could anybody vote for him again? I’m perturbed by that. I’m disturbed by it. I’m angry about it. I’m fed up. And so (I’ll take) any opportunity to come out and let people know that I’m not happy.”

He said he hopes the “No Kings” rallies will compel members of Congress to listen, as Buckles said the protests are getting harder for them to ignore. He said he hopes protests like those Saturday will get people to oust Republicans in November’s midterm elections, specifically mentioning Rep. Juan Ciscomani. 

“I hope that that people like Juan Ciscomani go, ‘oh, maybe, maybe I should take a different tact,’” he said. “I don’t think he’s going to, personally, so (Joanna) Mendoza is going to be the next congressperson for that district.”

Melonie Nicols said she’s also gone to multiple protests and other rallies since Trump was elected and will keep going. 

“The administration is horrible, and we’re in a war that we should not be in, and there’s no plan. We’re rounding up our community members and putting them in camps. And it’s horrifying that it’s happening, that it’s allowed to happen, that the Trump family is making money off of the degradation,” Nicols said.