Paducah, KY October 17th, 2025

The nationwide No Kings! mass mobilization is coming to Paducah Saturday, October 18th.  The first No Kings! was held in June, with a record-setting 900 participants showing up at Bob Noble Park on Park Avenue, while estimates of 5 to 6 million showed up nationwide at over 2,200 events.  Paducah event participants shared their feelings after the event on the Mobilize sign-up platform: 

"Several people were brought to tears at the amount of response there was today. It was peaceful and exhilarating to be able to speak my piece out loud and not just at the polls. I saw several acquaintances in my senior age group who surprised, but delighted me. In fact, the number of people that turned out gave me renewed hope that more people are unhappy with the assault on democracy that is occurring."

"The rally was wonderful! As a person who disagrees with our current government, it is often easy to feel very alone; the rally brought so much comfort and showed how many people we have standing with us. It has honestly eased my mind a little and given me hope as well! I'm so thankful for our chance to peacefully protest and be the voice for those that can't speak."

"The camaraderie is something I appreciated so very much. It did my heart good to see our community join together for a cause so dear to our hearts. My very first time to protest at 67 years old."

"Months of frustration and sadness at the state of our country and the direction it's headed in made attending this rally a must. It was peaceful, cathartic and I feel so proud to be on the right side of history! My faith in my fellow Kentuckians is somewhat restored after experiencing firsthand the support the No Kings movement has! The organizers did an excellent job keeping it positive and encouraging everyone not to engage with the counter protesters."

"I am the grandson of a holocaust survivor. My Hungarian grandmother was in a labor camp." 

"It was a wonderful experience, the coordinators and marshals were fantastic and did a lovely job of keeping things safe and organized."

The challenge is clear.  We are now in a full-on authoritarian assault on our Constitution, the rule of law, and the very basis of our democracy.  America was founded on the premise that we don't put up with would-be kings. Our very foundational rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights are being violated daily and core principles such as the separation of powers are being attacked with impunity. This kind of takeover throughout history has led to rampant corruption and harm to regular people, and this current situation is no exception.  This is a challenge that requires a bottom-up grassroots response from the people as it is clear that traditional electoral politics actions are not enough. 

The Paducah event is part of more than 2,650 events now registered online with the parent organization at www.nokings.org. There, you will find additional resources such as the multiple training videos developed for this event.  There is a new resource found here, www.nokings.org/kyr/ where participants can find such topics as "How to Prepare for a Protest" and "Know Your Rights."  All attendees will receive yellow business-size cards with Know Your Rights information they can share in their communities. All No Kings hosts are required to form a safety team that attend the safety, de-escalation, and know-your-rights trainings, some of which are developed by the ACLU.  All promotional information for the event contains this message:

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

The word "weapons" includes defensive weapons such as mace or pepper spray, along with things like firearms, knives, etc.  The Paducah event team will have event marshals, sometimes known as "peacekeepers," and a trained person for First Aid who is a retired paramedic and trauma nurse. The team has also been in contact with the Paducah Police Department and have a liason there who is an Assistant Captain with the force.  

This event will focus on joyful, fun, expression of our fundamental rights and is an opportunity for people to show up, stand up, and say "I DISSENT!" to the rampant lawlessness and corruption that is occurring.  The official color of this nascent and rapidly growing broad-based and non-partisan movement is YELLOW. Everyone is encouraged to wear something yellow, whether a shirt, pin, hat, scarf, or even fingernail polish!.  It has been heard that there are some great No Kings nail decorating videos on Tik Tok!

Costumes are now also becoming widespread at protests, and in addition to being fun, they contribute to de-escalation efforts to reinforce the non-violence commitment. You can expect to see an inflatable unicorn, a duck, and possibly Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem Halloween costumes at this event!  A number of attendees are messaging about what costumes they plan to wear. Or just don a whimsical or symbolic hat or even a broken crown!   The organizers have a half-chicken (lower body) and tall chicken inflatable available to loan out.  Music is also encouraged, so the organizers are still looking for musicians, especially horn players. Bring your kazoos or drum/percussion instruments, bubble makers, or any fun prop!  Expect a fun dance party at some point in the afternoon! There will be a limited number of t-shirts available in both yellow (black print) and black (white print) screenprinted by T-Shirts Plus, Mayfield. Their truck will be located in the parking lot at the Robert Cherry Civic Center, adjacent to the event. 

In the spirit of the joy vibe, here is a handy guide found at Nuns on the Bus, You Go Girls Facebook group.  

The co-hosts for this event are Four Rivers Indivisible and Marshall County Human Rights Advocacy (MCHRA). A sign-up link for the event can be found at the Four Rivers Indivisible website or here: Sign-Up for No Kings!. It is important to sign up in advance so that participants receive important email updates ranging from information about the weather to special instructions about parking, safety, and other special issues. It also saves time on arrival as checking in is simplified.  Participant name and email/phone information is never shared with any other organizations.  It also allows participants to receive follow-up information after the event.  

The organizers stress that this protest is held under First Amendment protections that allow freedom of speech and assembly on public property without the requirement of a permit for this type of event. The city also has the right to make reasonable limitations for safety purposes.  This means that participants are prohibited from stepping into or standing in the area between the sidewalk and the curb and absolutely must not step into the road. All street crossings must be done at intersections and following traffic signals. Participants can be on the sidewalk or anywhere inside the park. They should not obstruct any passing pedestrians.  Participants are also reminded that any opposition or counter-protestor also has First Amendment rights, and our principles of non-violence mean that the best course of action is to avoid any engagement with others who often seek to escalate or agitate. Non-violence includes language as well as actions.  

Here is the flyer, which has been posted at various locations in the area and provides the basic information: 

For more information, contact Four Rivers Indivisible at  FourRiversIndivisible@gmail.com.