(Lander, WY) – This weekend, protesters took to Lander’s Main Street and Centennial Park to join the “No Kings” rallies that took place across the state and across the country as part of the “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement” or the 50501 movement.
The demonstrations were scheduled to coincide with the June 14 military parade in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. The parade and protests coincided with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and the annual Flag Day holiday.
The Lander rally, organized by the Action Committee of the Fremont County Democrats, drew more than 200 people who expressed their dissatisfaction and anger with the Trump administration, with many carrying signs criticizing the President, Elon Musk, ICE, and the military parade itself, which they called a “vanity project.”
“It’s important for us to stand up for our rights, on either side,” said one attendee and Lander resident to County 10. “It doesn’t matter which side of the scope you are on. Our rights remain our rights. The Constitution remains the Constitution. Law is law. It should be that way. “No more kings.”
“I believe that democracy is (an) exercise, and the way you exercise that is by voting, marching, showing up, speaking your mind,” Mary Boscamp went on to say. “Let’s clean house, vote them all out,” she said.
Another rallygoer intended to share a quote, but instead chose to have a young Indigenous attendee speak on her behalf. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” the young girl said in response to the ICE crackdown.
“Our community is being affected specifically by cuts to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service,” another protester told County 10. “It will limit our access to these public lands.
We’re seeing so many good projects that have been ongoing for years, if not decades, being dismantled and destroyed, with all of the work lost as a result of the DOGE cuts. That’s one of the main reasons I’m here today.
County 10 later witnessed the same protester, who was carrying an upside-down American flag, being confronted by two different people at the same time.
“You’re disrespecting the flag,” one man said as he parked his truck to get out and confront the protester, while the other person gave him the middle finger and told him to “f*** off” as he walked past.
“It’s a sign of distress, and our country is in distress,” the protester explained to both men.
Others who were upset with the protest coal-rolled attendees as they drove by, some gave the middle finger, and one person was warned by law enforcement after blasting an air horn at protestors from a close distance.
Others simply drove by with Trump flags on their vehicles, or gave the thumbs-down sign.
Later, Michael Ockinga and Nate Mariotti stopped by the protest to express their support for President Trump. They stated that they were not there to counter-protest, but rather to exercise their free speech rights.
“The anti-American protesters that I’ve encountered today are foul-mouthed, ignorant people who don’t realize the freedoms they have by living in the United States of America,” according to Ockinga.
“A week in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or any of the other’stans,’ or Venezuela, would be a real eye opener for them, revealing the true value of freedom.” I spent 20 months out of the country while in the military, and I was always delighted to return.”
Despite some of the more heated moments, the protest was another violence-free affair, with the June 16 Lander Police Department call log indicating no serious infractions or citations being issued.
“We are just so happy that the community came out in force to support our democracy and push back on government overreach,” Lennie Poitras, one of the local organizers with the Fremont County Democrats, went on to share with County 10 in the days after the rally.
