Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Vancouver Saturday in solidarity with protests being held across the U.S. in opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration. Millions turned up for “No Kings” rallies in the U.S., Canada and around the world for the third time, objecting to a list of issues including the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the war in Iran. In Canada, the protests are dubbed “No Tyrants,” as King Charles III is the head of state. “As Canadians we’ve been watching kind of helplessly from north of the border as Trump pardons insurrectionists, as he dismantles democracy, as he threatens Canadian sovereignty,” Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon, co-founder of Democracy Rising, which helped organize Saturday’s rally, told CTV News. “We can’t pass legislation or vote him out but what we can do is come together as a community in Vancouver to show solidarity.” She said the rally also served as a call for Canadian companies and offices to cut ties with ICE, following two protests put on by Democracy Rising outside Hootsuite’s Vancouver headquarters. “We are seeing similar sentiments rise right here in Canada, kind of a homegrown far-right that we’re seeing in our political parties, so it’s important to come together in communities across Canada to say that we reject these wholesale,” Ferretti-Gallon added. Bob Kull, who attended the rally, told CTV News he’s been protesting wars for more than six decades, having moved to Canada from California during the Vietnam war. “I still have family in the states and I’m concerned about them. I’m concerned about the aggressiveness and authoritarianism that’s happening down there,” he said. He said he sits with a sign outside the U.S. Consulate in downtown Vancouver every Saturday, regardless of whether anyone else is joining him. “Rather than just staying home and grumbling about how I feel at least, we get it out there in the word, and people driving by go ‘Oh I’m not alone in my thoughts and my concerns,’” he said.
