Media recognition for Indivisible North Louisiana is growing as our community comes together to protect our democracy.

Good Trouble in Shreveport, LA

We celebrated the life and legacy of House Member John Lewis, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Voting Rights Act is something he wanted to achieve, as voting is a signature of our democracy and the right to rule, but only by consent of the people.

Our Declaration of Independence from a King imagined a new government. The formation was a promise that if one person created laws that hurt its people, those people could vote to make change. Thus, the Declaration of Independence states:

“…deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

‘No Kings’ in Monroe, LA – Hosted by Indivisible North Louisiana 6.14.25

No Kings Rally in Ruston, LA. 6.14.25

Protest organizers: Event energized movement — Nancy@rustonleader.com By Nancy Bergeron

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Protesters demonstrated outside Ruston City Hall Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” event. Leader photos by Nancy Bergeron

Organizers of Saturday’s local “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration say the event energized the movement. “People wanted to express what they were concerned about, and they did,” said Paula Stinson, a member of the regional Indivisible chapter that put on the rally.

Approximately 250 people rallied on the front lawn of Ruston’s city hall to hear speeches and join in chants that were a mixture of support for democracy and opposition to President Donald Trump. Many carried homemade signs touting issues ranging from immigration to freeing Palestine to the economy.

“I think people left there feeling good and strengthened by the great turnout,” rally speaker former state Sen. Bill Jones, of Ruston, said Sunday. Jones said he thinks the rally will build momentum for people to stand up “against this stuff which is bad.”

The Ruston protest was one of about 2,000 “No Kings Day” protests nationwide. Organizers say Trump is running roughshod over the U.S. Constitution, amassing power more akin to that of a king than of a president. “This was about love of our country and concern about our democratic process that going on, and concern for our neighbors,” Stinson said.

Many of the protesters waved small American flags handed them when they arrived at the event and cheered loudly when motorists traveling down Trenton Street blew their horns in apparent support of the demonstration. Only a few drivers could be heard shouting pro- Trump comments at the crowd. One of the motorists held a Trump cap against his passengerside window. A lone protester shouted back, but the driver had already passed by. A handful of Trump supporters stood across the street holding a U.S. flag, a picture of the president and occasionally waving a Trump banner. “They’ve got the same right to be there as we had to be where we were,” Jones said. “That doesn’t upset me at all.”

Ruston police reported no incidents stemming from the protest. Increased law enforcement presence was in the area but not immediately visible. “We had a plan in place which we coordinated with other law enforcement agencies,” police Chief Eric Watson said. “The Ruston Police Department will continue to prepare for the safety of the public and officers and exercise risk mitigation at every opportunity.” Event organizers also had a group of volunteers on hand trained in nonviolent de-escalation techniques. “In the end, we were always prepared to work with Ruston police if we needed their help,” Stinson said.

Although the national Indivisible group announced plans for the day of rallies in early May, the local group opted not to openly publicize their protest ahead of time to minimize the chance of disruption. They publicized the event through their own contacts; it grew from that and information on several “No Kings Day” websites.

Rally attendee Kenny Crump, of Ruston, said he participated because he felt like he needed to do something. “I’m very concerned about where I think our country is headed. I feel like I needed to be doing something. This was something I could do,” he said. He held a poster reading, “What would you have wanted ordinary Germans to do in the 1930s? Then you do it now!”

Ruston resident Kaylee Martin said the rally was exactly what it was supposed to be. “I love mobilizing small communities,” she said.

Jones said the Ruston protesters and others like them are the only ones who can stop an overrun of democracy. “Our current Congress won’t do its job, the courts don’t have an army and they can’t force this president to abide by its rulings. That leaves just little ole us, the American people,” he said during the rally. “When you look back at the creation of our democracy, you see that one of their greatest fears was that the people might elect a demagogue who would disregard the law and try to make himself all-powerful,” Jones said.

“Today the worst fears of our founders have come to pass — we’ve elected a president who claims total power and on a daily basis tries to ignore or destroy all restraints on his power. Worse than that, the branch of government best situated to check the president — Congress — has totally abdicated its constitutional responsibility because the Republican majority, at this point, is too scared to oppose Trump.”

He said the first task for preserving democracy is defeating Trump’s budget bill. “This bill is cruel,” Jones said. He said the bill would hurt Louisianans who depend on Medicaid and federal food benefits and weaken healthcare even for the privately insured. He urged rallygoers to talk to their friends and neighbors and “load up” congressmembers’ message boxes with firm but polite demands to kill the bill. Organizers say what Indivisible does next in North Louisiana will be driven by what constituents want the group to do.

Empty Town Hall in Ruston, LA – Hosted by Indivisible North Louisiana