Protesters gathered outside the Naperville Municipal Center on Saturday for a “No Kings” rally, one of more than 2,500 events held nationwide to protest President Donald Trump and his administration.
A Naperville police officer on site estimated that more than 1,500 people attended the local demonstration.
Local organizers bring people together for ‘No Kings’ rally in Naperville
The event was organized by Naperville photographer Emily Cummings and Pastor Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.
In an earlier interview, Cummings said she felt compelled to act.
“I see a lot of social justice issues that concern me — people not getting due process; the executive branch taking over control of everything; the checks and balances of our Congress and our courts seem to be waning,” she said. “I’m scared about the future that our kids are growing into, and I feel privileged that I can stand up for other people.”
Participants began gathering around 11 a.m., many carrying homemade signs and marching with family members of multiple generations. 
Naperville resident Donna Sack said she was encouraged to see the national scale of participation.
“There are millions and millions of Americans giving voice to ensuring and pushing forward our constitutional rights,” Sack said. “That’s what I hope will be achieved today.”
Showing up today for something bigger
Pastor Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church opened the rally with words summing up the spirit of the gathering.
“I am just an ordinary person who looked around and realized that if we wait for someone else to come along and fix it, we are going to be waiting forever. So, I decided to show up, and that is what today is about: showing up. Because when regular people show up. When Mom and Dad and grandparents and teachers and students and neighbors come together, we have something extraordinary. We have a community that refuses to be ruled by fear or ego,” Pynn Himmelman said.
Illinois Senator Laura Ellman and U.S. Congressman Bill Foster also attended. Foster addressed the crowd, saying, “You are not alone… thank you for your commitment to peaceful protest.”
After the speakers concluded, attendees marched through downtown Naperville, circling back along Aurora Avenue to finish at the Municipal Center.
A small group of Trump supporters also gathered nearby, driving around the Municipal Center with banners and photos displayed on their cars.