'We’re angry, and we’re here': Hundreds of 'No Kings' protesters turn out in downtown Walla Walla
Asked why he and his family showed up at the “No Kings” rally outside the Walla Walla County Courthouse on Saturday, June 14, Harlan Gough of Walla Walla began, “Well…”
Gough, a wildlife biologist, had worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge in Burbank.
In February, he found himself among the federal probationary employees dismissed by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
One week later, his daughter, Josephine, was born.
Gough and his wife, Julie Hundersmarck — who works as a program coordinator at the U.S. Forest Service International Programs — attended the event with Josephine and their 2-year-old son, Rowan.
Many protesters wore shiny cardboard crowns during the No Kings demonstration at the Walla Walla County Courthouse, Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Though the Trump administration’s actions have hurt their livelihoods, the couple said they were also at the rally for the same reasons several hundred other protesters turned up outside the still-scaffolded courthouse: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, detentions and deportations without due process, the fracturing of the country’s international alliances, the undermining of civil liberties and civil society, the ongoing deployment U.S. troops on American citizens.
“The list is endless,” Hundersmarck said.
Many protesters brought signs: “Prison without due process is a concentration camp.” “They blame immigrants so you won’t blame the billionaires.” “Keep science great.” “Bring decency back.” “This isn’t a reality show, Donald.” “Faux-King idiot.”
And many wore shiny gold cardboard crowns that served as signs: “Resist like it’s 1938 Germany.” “Truck Fump.” “Nope.”
Community members gathered in downtown Walla Walla to protest actions from the Trump administration.
The event, hosted by the Walla Walla Activist Network with help from the Walla Walla County Democrats, was among the hundreds scheduled across the U.S. on Saturday.
U.S. flags, large and small, were everywhere — Navy veteran Brandon Thompson of Walla Walla, draped himself in it — and often paired with the flag of Mexico.
The event, hosted by the Walla Walla Activist Network with help from the Walla Walla County Democrats, was among the hundreds scheduled across the U.S. on Saturday. The primary organizer of the nationwide demonstrations, the political group 50501 — “50 states, 50 protests, one movement” — has organized a series of rallies against the Trump administration since the president retook the White House.
In Washington D.C., Trump held a military parade to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. It was also the president’s 79th birthday.
Navy veteran Brandon Thompson, of Walla Walla, was among the hundreds who showed up to protest the Trump administration at the No Kings rally held in downtown Walla Walla on Saturday, June 14.
Joan and Pierre-Louis Monteillet brought their favorite buck goat Mister Wiggle to the No Kings demonstration at the Walla Walla County Courthouse, Saturday, June 14, 2025. Mister Wiggle's saddle cloth said "The Buck Stops Here."
Kate VanDonge and Louis Gonzales, both members of the Activist Network, gave opening remarks. VanDonge led the assembled in a moment of silence for the Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses shot — one couple died, the other were injured — in Minnesota that morning.
The featured speaker, Rodney Outlaw, who is running for Walla Walla City Council, told the audience, “Trump wants to rule — not to serve, rule.”
Outlaw’s speech kicked off a march that headed northeast along Main Street, turned left at Spokane Street, then returned to the courthouse lawn. Activists chanted “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” and “The people, united, will never be divided.”
Drivers honked approvingly and cheered them on. One woman watching the protestors pass her by told them, “Greatest president of all time.”
Though Hundersmarck remains a federal employee, her office isn’t the same, she said.
“Our funding has been cut, our work has been stopped … so it’s been a really difficult time,” she said.
Anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US. Organizers say millions came
Photos of military parade marking Army's 250th anniversary amid anti-Trump protests
Military parade rolls through DC as 'No Kings' protesters across US decry Trump
It’s the same at many important offices, agencies and bureaus across the federal government, she noted.
“Everything that Trump does is ruining this country,” she said. “And so, yeah, we’re angry, and we’re here.”
Erick Bengel is a Murrow News Fellow at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin whose beat focuses on rural civic affairs. He can be reached at ebengel@wwub.com or 509-526-8313.