A throng turns out for No Kings rally.

“No Kings” protesters’ political ideologies ranged from a small Communist Party contingent to the Sierra Club to average people with no particular ideology. (John McPhaul)

By JOHN McPAUL

jpmcphaul@gmail.com

Hundreds if not a thousand or more people turned out on Saturday for the San Juan “No Kings” protest march against the administration of President Donald Trump, carrying signs bearing messages such as “No to Fascism” and “No Thrones in America.” 

The throng -- unless you were the drone that briefly hovered overhead there was no way to precisely estimate the size of the crowd -- gathered in front of the Puerto Rican Hall of Fame and marched noisily to nearby El Escambrón, egged along by mobile loud speakers.

Along with the protest against the Trump administration (see related story on page 6), many of those gathered were simultaneously marching against the Essence Development project in Cabo Rojo.

“The No Kings march and the Essence protest are all mixed together,” said Dariana Frontera, 30, of the Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club opposes the project because its $2 billion price tag for 1,123 housing units and 520 hotel units will be funded in part by $497 million in tax incentives, and according to the Sierra Club that will mean less resources for essential services, less investment in the communities and a greater weight carried by the working population.

The protesters’ political ideologies ranged from a small Communist Party contingent to the Sierra Club, which led the Essence protest, to average people with no particular ideology.

Some statesiders were also on hand, such as Wendy Thurmond, a teacher from Tacoma Park, Maryland who lent her support for “No Kings.”

“We just refer to the whole situation as ‘it,’” said Thurmond, who said she was “older than 30.”

One New Yorker who didn’t want to reveal her identity said she came to Puerto Rico especially for the protest.

Xochitl Cabarrones, 60, of the Council for Latin America Advancement, held a sign saying “No thrones, No Crowns, Workers have no borders.”

Other signs said “In 1776 We Needed No Kings,” and “There are no dictators, the struggle continues.”

Sebastián Castrodad, 38, a documentary filmmaker with camera and microphone in hand said, “In part this is a protest to improve the conditions of workers directed at a labor reform.”

“They’ve left people behind with no consideration for the economic impact,” he said.