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"No Kings" protesters in North Jersey were joined by a giant chicken, two giraffes, a unicorn, a T-Rex and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Protesters attending “No Kings” rallies in Essex County last weekend found themselves standing alongside some unusual allies: a giant chicken, two giraffes, a unicorn, a T-Rex and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. An estimated seven million people turned out for “No Kings” protests across the U.S. on Saturday to denounce the administration of President Donald Trump. Demonstrators criticized Trump’s track record on immigration, free speech, education and health care, among other issues. Trump hit back at protesters, telling reporters that he is “not a king.” “I work my ass off to make our country great – that’s all it is,” the president said. >> Read More: 'No Kings' Protests In Essex County Draw Thousands Of Anti-Trump Demonstrators (PHOTOS) In Essex County, local protests took place in Bloomfield, Caldwell, Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Montclair and Newark. Several demonstrators donned giant, inflatable costumes. In Caldwell, a demonstrator tromped up and down the sidewalk in a “Tyrantosaurus Wrecks” costume. In Bloomfield, a colorful unicorn hefted a sign that read: “No Thrones or Crowns, Just Glitter and Freedom.” Another protester wore a Ghostbusters-inspired costume – the infamous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man – waving a U.S. flag and holding up a bright, orange sign. “I am an unpaid, constitution-supporting American exercising my First Amendment right,” the sign read. “How much more American-lovin’ can you get?” Nearby in Maplewood, a protester wearing a giant rooster costume proudly waved the stars and stripes near the town gazebo. Two other Maplewood protesters donned huge, inflatable giraffe costumes. “Giraffes Against Kings,” one of their signs declared. The local costumed protesters in Essex County are part of a larger trend that was seen nationwide at last weekend’s No Kings events. Other New Jersey protesters were seen in costumes that included an inflatable traffic cone, an “Amphifa” frog, and a piñata. BUT… WHY? Some political pundits say the costumes are a way of fighting back against the narrative that anti-Trump protesters are violent. In August, the president issued an executive order demanding action against protesters who burn the American flag, saying that it may “incite violence and riot.” Later in September, he issued another executive order that declared Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization,” claiming that it has carried out a “campaign of violence.” And earlier this month, Trump said the city of Portland, Oregon is “burning to the ground” due to “paid insurrectionists” and Antifa. In response, some anti-ICE protesters in Portland began wearing giant, unwieldy frog costumes as a way to counter the claims that the city is “war-ravaged.” “Every person in an inflatable costume makes it harder for the Trump administration to invoke the Insurrection Act or try to spread this messaging of Portland being a dangerous place,” a demonstrator told The Oregonian. In Washington D.C., protesters at the No Kings rally showed up dressed as an alien, a shark, a bald eagle, an axolotl, a Pillsbury Doughboy and Patrick from “SpongeBob SquarePants” – as well as several frogs. Asked why they were wearing inflatables, most said they wanted to force the Trump administration to face the absurdity of its narratives, Slate.com reported. Some high-ranking Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have been vocal critics of the No Kings protests. In the days leading up to Saturday’s protests, Johnson and other allies of the president called the demonstrations “Hate America rallies” and tried to tie the protests to Hamas and Antifa. The gatherings were overwhelmingly peaceful, with police in New York City and Washington D.C. – the sites of some of the largest rallies – reporting no protest-related arrests. Johnson acknowledged that the weekend was apparently a “violent-free, free speech exercise.” He has doubled down on his belief that the rallies are a Democratic “stunt,” however, alleging that despite the lack of physical violence, “violent rhetoric” took place that involved the president. “Congratulations – they didn’t burn any buildings down, that’s a big achievement for the left,” he said in the wake of the protests. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
