Yesterday, Uptown Charlotte witnessed a significant gathering as thousands came together for the "No Kings" march and rally. According to Queen City News, the estimated 5,500 participants converged on First Ward Park at 11 a.m., joined in protest against ICE Operations and the Trump Administration. The demonstration, which included vocal chants and an array of signs, spilled into the streets, prompting several road closures around Uptown.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) facilitated the event, ensuring public safety and managing the temporary disruptions to the city's flow. North Brevard Street, East Fifth Street, North Caldwell Street, East Fourth Street, North Tryon Street, and East Seventh Street were among the thoroughfares closed to make way for the protest. The CMPD later found themselves having to quickly act, by backing a smaller, unrelated group of protesters on the 300 block of East Seventh Street, as reported by Queen City News.
The main rally wrapped up around 2 p.m., but not without some incidents following its conclusion. A subset of around 200 individuals, not affiliated with the original organizing party, remained active in the area and continued their marching. This led to a couple confrontations with CMPD officers, resulting in two arrests. As noted by WCCB Charlotte, the arrestees were Tirsa Grande Sanchez, 20, and Shannon Brooke Riley, 23, both accused of assaulting law enforcement officers.
The officers involved in the altercations did not sustain any injuries, however, the CMPD found it necessary to deploy OC spray to gain compliance and "ensure the safety of both participants and the public," as stated in a WCCB Charlotte report. This use of force resulted in one individual being transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries due to OC spray exposure. The protests also saw Medic attending to four heat-related calls for service, the injuries from which were non-life-threatening, according to Queen City News.
In a show of resistance that coincided with President Donald Trump's birthday and against a backdrop of military parades in Washington, D.C., the crowds in Charlotte were vocal and focused. "No kings! No thrones! No crowns!," they chanted, punctuating the air with their collective dissent. This sentiment was echoed by The Charlotte Observer, capturing the tone of a city, and indeed a nation, voicing its concerns in an emphatic, yet predominantly peaceful, demonstration.
