WELLSVILLE — Nearly 300 people weren’t deterred by huge trucks and damp weather for Wellsville’s No Kings demonstration on Saturday.

The advertised event was held at the Fassett Greenspace where two large Matco Tools trucks (a Belmont business) occupied the parking places on the North Main Street side of the park. The tall trucks blocked the visibility from the road, but that didn’t stop the protesters. They lined up across the street and on both adjoining street corners and many pressed their backs to the Main Street side of the trucks and displayed their signs anyway.

Although a one-car police patrol drove by, they didn’t stop or chastise the protesters for standing on the street-side of the trucks. The trucks were parked from before the demonstration started at 2 p.m. until about 3:15 p.m. when they were driven away.

Many of those in the crowd suspected the trucks were parked there purposefully, including the organizer of the event, Ally Fesmire who said she suspected it was planned.

Fesmire said she organized the No Kings demonstration in Wellsville “to make it easier for people to make it clear to our representatives how the people really feel.”

The event was open to anyone who wanted to show up. Fesmire said that she was delighted at the number of people who participated.

“I wanted to encourage people from across the county to show up, but I never expected this many people,” she said.

People from other towns and nearby counties attended the local event as more than 2,000 No Kings events took place across the country as participants expressed their opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies.

Fesmire has organized a new group called Rise Up for the purpose of giving like-minded people a place to vent their concerns with the current government. She hopes to hold monthly demonstrations as needed. Advertising for Saturday’s event emphasized that it was a peaceful demonstration and that no belligerent rhetoric would be tolerated. There were no incidents.

Organizers also set aside time to read the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Amendment I, guaranteeing freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly drew applause from the crowd.

With the majority of demonstrators having gray or white hair, Fesmire said she was grateful that they came out.

“It shows how older people really do have wisdom,” she said.

She hypothesized that younger people may have more fear about participating in such events, but she hopes they take courage from seeing older people demonstrating their concerns and advocating for people’s rights.

Drivers were encouraged to honk their horns as they drove by to show their approval of the protest. The cacophony solicited cheers from the sign carriers.

Anti-protestors were not seen and no derogatory comments were heard.

One young man sporting a MAGA hat walked through the crowd. The majority of signs reiterated the No Kings theme, while some hit other topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, rising prices and the economy and the cost of the military parade in Washington on Saturday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army — on Trump’s 79th birthday — while federal employment and funding is being slashed.