A strong dose of opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies permeated a “No Kings” protest at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg on Saturday afternoon.
It was a part of a day of protests nationwide, said to be the largest since Trump’s second term began.
Abby Graham-Pardus, founder of the WTF Can I Do Westmoreland, the activist organization that sponsored the event, said they wanted to take a bipartisan approach to the rally, which lasted about two hours.
But, it was decidedly anti-Trump in the speeches, signs, chants against the president and his corporate supporters and the honking of passing vehicles showing support for the protest.
Missing from the latest Greensburg version of the No Kings Rally was any form of counter protest along Main Street showing support for Trump.
“This about right vs wrong. This is not a partisan issue,” Graham-Pardus. She was heartened by the sight of more young adults at Saturday’s rally in at past ones.
“They want to see a ‘less establishment’ approach” to governing, said Graham-Pardus, who announced this is the last of the rallies that the organization will be sponsoring, as it undergoes changes.
Graham-Pardus said there were about 3,700 people at the rally, based on a crowd count they had received. Greensburg police said they did not have an estimate.
The featured speaker, former Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb criticized Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, which has gone on for about a month and caused American lives, as well as Iranians.
“I ask myself where is Congress. Where is Congress?” Lamb said.
Lamb took a shot at U.S. Sen John Fetterman in particular, who has supported Trump’s war effort and some of his recent appointments.
“Your support for this war is a disgrace,” Lamb said. speaking of Fetterman, who beat Lamb in 2022 Democratic primary. Lamb sidestepped a question following his 10-minute speech on whether appearances like the one in Greensburg are part of his plan to raise his profile and support among Democrats before running again for Senate in 2028.
Gerard Rendine of Ligonier showed his disapproval of Trump by wearing an orange prison-style jumpsuit with a Trump mask with a black splotch underneath the nose, indicating an Adolph Hitler-style mustache.
The rally was punctuated by jeers against Trump
Adam Staymates, 36, of Greensburg was a lone Trump supporter waving a “MAGA (Make America Great Again) Country flag along North Street in front of the former Mellon Bank building. He was dressed in an inflatable Uncle Sam costume.
Standing at a prominent spot at the corner of North Main and East Pittsburgh Street, Staymates found himself engaging in political arguments some of the protesters.
For as much as the anti-Trump protesters may not like it, the message on Staymates’ flag rang true in the 2024 presidential election in Westmoreland County where Donald Trump was the landslide winner in the county, capturing almost 64% of the vote to then Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ 35% of the county’s electorate.
“I’m here because I’m against Democrats. They are running on anti-Trump (platform) and they don’t run on much else,” said Staymates,