Copper Basin Residents Gather for No Kings Event

Glennallen, Alaska - Thirty one area residents gathered at the Glennallen Courthouse on March 28 to participate in a “No Kings” event, one of many scheduled across the state and country. A locally based volunteer organization called Copper Basin Common Ground organized the event, with assistance from the statewide group Indivisible. 

The title, “No Kings,” is a reference to the opinion that the Trump Administration is not acting within the constraints in the Constitution designed to prevent one leader from having the power of a “king.” 

The event began with a safety briefing, a costumed Abraham Lincoln reading The Gettysburg Address, and remarks on non-violence. Participants then walked, holding signs and waving at passersby, to and from the IGA. Many chit chatted along the way. A few remained behind at the Courthouse on lawn chairs. 

Response to the demonstration was mostly neutral. A little over a dozen drivers gave friendly honks and waves. One driver shouted, “Go Trump,” out the window and another gave a thumbs down. The majority of drivers slowed for safety but did not give an indication of whether they supported or opposed the demonstration. 

The exception were two separate pickup trucks that accelerated through the area where demonstrators were walking. One truck was later joined by an additional truck for another pass through the area. A demonstrator alerted a passing Trooper of this activity, who remained nearby to monitor for additional speeding. 

Several residents expressed discomfort with having their names or photographs used in an article, citing a general concern about backlash. The President generally receives strong support in this region. Copper Center, Gakona, Glennallen, and Kenny Lake districts voted 69, 76, 78, and 71% for Donald Trump in the last election, respectively.

National Park Service Education Technician Diane Ellsworth said she has had “a long year” in her federal position. She stated that as employees are encouraged to retire, remaining staff are taking on more work to keep programs going. She also described a constant state of “uncertainty” about staffing and funding making it difficult to do her job. 

Kory Jones, Tiffany Outerbridge and their children Keaven and Keir Jones, of Tazlina, came to the rally as a family. Tiffany stated that “As an African American female, the right to vote is especially important.” She is concerned about what she sees as “voter suppression” nationally. She continued, “If you don’t show up, you can’t complain. This is the least I can do.” 

After the event, I asked attendees whether they were offered compensation for attending, aside from cookies and hot drinks served at the Courthouse. 

An organizer, who did not want to share her name, stated she did not receive financial compensation for helping to organize the event. 

Ruth McHenry and Cliff Eames said, “We were definitely not paid to attend. Instead, it cost us gas for a 100 mile round trip, and we made and brought cookies.” 

Bruce and Kari Rogers stated they were not offered monetary payment. Bruce Rogers added that he was initially hesitant to participate because, “I didn’t necessarily want to be a part of something that resulted in more divisiveness. But what I saw demonstrated by those taking part was a lot of love and compassion and concern.”

Disclosure: Copper Basin Common Ground is a Copper River Record advertiser. That did not influence our coverage of this event.