At noon on Saturday, a number of groups, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, held a rally at Public Square and marched to Willard Park, at East Ninth Street and Lakeside Avenue. There, they were briefly confronted by the leaders of another “No Kings” demonstration headed by Democratic Party leaders and others, who reserved the park that features the Free Stamp sculpture.
While both groups criticized the Trump administration’s policies, their respective themes and chants were different. The group that marched from Public Square focused more on Trump’s immigration policy and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, or ICE. The group also spoke out against the war in Gaza and chanted, “Free, free – free Palestine.”
The group at Willard Park highlighted what it saw as Trump’s attacks on the U.S. Constitution and healthcare and called for more organizing and voter engagement.
Many participants from Willard Park event joined the other demonstrations and marched back to Public Square after the program. Combined, the crowd appeared to number in the thousands.
Both demonstrations were peaceful and under the close eye of Cleveland police officers and Cuyahoga County sheriff deputies. The Cleveland police limited the marchers to a handful of Cleveland streets and blocked direct access to other areas downtown, including Mall C, which was the site of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival.
