On Saturday, October 18th, a group of four friends went out for coffee in downtown Mason City. They ended up at a No Kings Protest in Central Park.
“We were driving by, and then I realized, ‘Oh, hey, there’s the protest that’s going on, ” said Cashius Bagur, a senior from the Mason City Alternative School. “And we got coffee, and then we came back. And I was like, ‘I want to protest.’ It’s not often you get to do it.”
The demonstration was one of 2700 held across the country to protest President Donald J. Trump, according to the No Kings Website. The goal of the movement is to bring attention to what it calls the “targeting of immigrant families by masked agents, detaining people without warrants, threatening to overtake elections, and handing out massive giveaways to billionaire allies, as families struggle.” Several speakers spoke at the local protest organized by North Iowa Fights Back.
“Everyone assumes that anyone that immigrated is illegal or undocumented,” said Jeremy True, an English Language Learning (ELL) instructor. “And that just tells me that they’re not really trying to know or understand people. They just want to use some legalese to explain bigotry. Call it out when you hear it.”
True has grown close with students of different cultures due to his job, and that is why he spoke for the protest on Saturday. One student from Honduras felt so recognized and understood by Mr. True that she wrote him a letter speaking about her blessing to live in America.
Another speaker, former soldier of the Iraq War, Kristen Jenn, says Project 2025 caused her to lose her National Park Ranger job in Arizona last January and she recently lost another post in California this month after the government shutdown. Jenn says it’s time to come together. “I’d like to encourage all of us to channel our mutual anger and fear into something positive.”
Jenn says now is the time for people to volunteer.
Amber Allison, a constitutionalist and descendant of a revolutionist, called Trump a tyrant and encouraged people to defend themselves. “I implore you,” said Allison to the crowd. “If you do not know your Constitution, start learning your Constitution, for it is your best defense against tyranny.”
Lesson in Democracy
A handful of MCHS students joined the crowd of mostly retired and working-age citizens. They all got a personal lesson on the importance of the First Amendment.
“Seeing us all gathered here is so inspiring,” said Myah Reindl, a freshman. “ It shows that we are literally never alone. There’s people of every age here ready to stand up for what democracy looks like. It just shows that when people want to come together, they can, and they can show what democracy is, and we can come together and just really get our point across.”
“It affects the generations to come and the younger generations,” said MCHS freshman Penelope Scott, “I feel it’s very significant to have younger kids.”
What Matters Most to Students
Reindl said this is the first protest she’s attended. She says she doesn’t like the way President Trump is leading the country.
“Leadership is speaking up for others and showing others how to lead, instead of telling everybody what to do,” said Reindl, “And I just think it’s so important to not listen to people want to tear you down. I’m also a very religious person. A lot of what Trump says, [what] Republicans say is, ‘This is very Christian.’ This not my Jesus.”
“The ban [restrictions] on abortions is most disgusting to me,” said Reindl, “Because get your hands off my body. The mass deportations and just the dehumanizing acts that are happening right now to people of all colors.”
“This is not how America should be acting,” Scott said. “People shouldn’t be controlling everyone else’s bodies. It’s just so inhumane.”
Cashius Bagur said many issues brought him out to protest. “[Trump’s presidency is] so full of hypocrisy and stupid decisions that I don’t think he even understands,” Bagur said, “I think his immigration policies are absolutely ridiculous. He has deported thousands of people, many of which, like, it’s not just the people he deported, but ICE is continuously detaining U.S. citizens constantly, and nothing’s being done about it.”
Bagur is also concerned about a proposed Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act.
“It effectively removes 113 million acres of forest around the United States, resulting in not only the obvious mass deforestation and destruction of our country’s wildlife habitats,” said Bagur.
Students Avoiding Political Conversations
Milo Balduf, another MCHS student, protested alongside Cashius. It was his first protest. He says most students his age don’t like to talk about modern-day issues.
“They might not be comfortable with talking about it, like, on the surface to anyone inside of school,” Balduf said, “I hope they actually participate.”
Bagur said he wishes more students his age would attend.
“Other than those in my close circle of four, I could tell you the names of 25 people who advertised the protest online, who speak of these types of things as though it’s their one passion in life. But where are they when the time actually comes?”
Nathan Sage, a 2003 MCHS graduate and Democrat running for Iowa Senate told the crowd it’s time to talk to our neighbors. “What I think we need to do is put our d— phones down, turn the TV off, and have conversations with people,” said Sage. “We are not the enemy. We do not hate America, We are not terrorists. We are p—ed off Americans that hate what’s going on in our country.”
