GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — Roughly 2,000 "No Kings" rallies are expected to be held across the U.S. Saturday in opposition of President Donald Trump and his policies.

The rallies have been planned for the same day as Trump's military parade and come as smaller protests against the actions of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement have also popped up across the U.S., resulting in hundreds of arrests.

In Sumner County, 200 or so people are expected to attend what organizers stressed, will be a peaceful gathering in downtown Gallatin. Organizer Mandy Cook, who leads the Indivisible Sumner coalition, said this rally has been planned for about a month.

“Our intention is for this to be a 100% peaceful demonstration. That’s all this is about,” Cook said. “It’s people who have similar ideals coming out and building community together and sharing a space together to make our voices heard.”

Cook said organizers have been in “constant communication” with Gallatin Police, adding that Saturday presents a “huge opportunity” to connect with like-minded community members. 

“We have some great speakers that I am so excited to be able to support and give a platform to, and we have a lot of people interested who I think are just ready to show Sumner County that we just want to open things up and be a little more inclusive, and make everybody feel like this is a safe place to live,” Cook said.

Another key cog in Saturday’s gathering is the Sumner County Democratic Party.

“I hope that those that feel overlooked by our current administration feel encouraged," Megan Lange, Chair for the SCDP, said. "I want people to understand that they are not alone in the feelings of despair that we are consistently dealing with."

Since word has gotten out, Lange said a small, conservative group within the county has displayed “fear-mongering” towards them. Otherwise, she said the response within their predominantly-conservative county has been civil.

Gallatin Police will be on-site for the demonstration, with assistance from the Sumner County Sheriff’s office.

The department has shared their guidelines for Saturday's attendees, which include not wearing face coverings, not carrying backpacks, and not obstructing surrounding businesses. 

Sumner County Mayor John Isbell also shared a statement regarding the demonstration on social media.  While acknowledging a person's constitutional right to express their views, Isbell emphasized his confidence in local law enforcement to keep the peace.

While we fully support the right to peaceful protest, I want to be absolutely clear: illegal activity of any kind will not be tolerated in Sumner County. In Sumner County, our Police officers will arrest you, our District Attorney’s office will prosecute you, and our Judges will put you in jail. We will not allow a small number of individuals engaged in criminal behavior to threaten the safety of our residents and businesses.

Part of a statement posted to Facebook by Isbell

The rally will start at 2 pm Saturday from the steps of the new Gallatin courthouse on East Main Street.  

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/gallatin-no-kings/