One of the main speakers for the No Kings protest this Saturday in Louisville is political cartoonist Marc Murphy. He spoke with LPM’s Bill Burton about his motivations and hopes for the event, and the movement it’s a part of.
“No Kings” protests will be held in Louisville this Saturday 2-5 p.m. at the Belvedere, and in Jeffersonville at Warder Park 2:30-5 p.m.
This transcript was edited for clarity and length.
Bill Burton: The first No Kings protest in June coincided with President Trump's military parade in Washington, D.C. What's the reason for having another one this weekend?
Marc Murphy: There are a couple of things. I'm not an organizer of the event, and to be clear, I don't speak for all of the fabulous speakers and other talent that will be present there. I don't know exactly why this date was selected. I do know that this week the Congress approved to memorialize Charlie Kirk. I don't know if the fact that that was this week when Congress set that date was a reason for that to do this now. Also, the time is right. One of the things about a resistance movement like this is that you have to keep pushing, and there have to be reminders. So I can't say why now, but I can certainly say: Why not now?
BB: The first No Kings protest saw about 4,000 people in the area around Metro Hall. Saturday's protest is going to be at the Belvedere. What are you expecting from the event?
MM: I would hope that it was larger. Like any public event, whether you're planning a church picnic or anything else, it can depend on a lot of things, like weather and other things. I certainly don't feel that there is a decreased level of motivation by the people that would attend a No Kings event, I would think that there's an increased level of interest and motivation. Just checking on social media generally, and all the different platforms, I see this event advertised in a number of ways by a number of different people, even using different logos and branding. And that tells me that it's very organic, and the more that those people share that and press on the little button to say they're interested or they're coming, I'm hopeful that there'll be a lot of people there.
BB: Can an event like this lead to tangible change?
MM: The short answer is no, because of the way you asked it. I'm going to be a lawyer and a law professor here. Can an event like this lead to tangible change? I would say no, but I'm picking on your words very carefully, because I feel very strongly about this. Not just one of these events. And the lessons that Americans are now being taught by people who have lived in authoritarian regimes across the world, who are trying to help us out. There's articles and books that are written about this that it takes not one of these, and then you feel like you've patted yourself on the back and say, ‘Job well done.’ And you can't be self satisfied in that way. It takes a number of these. It takes this on repeat. One of the challenges for the movement in opposition to MAGA and to Trump's efforts in Washington is that you have to be patient, and it does take time.
I would compare it more to a baseball season than a football season. For instance, you've got 162 games, and there's ebbs and flows and ups and downs, and you've got the dog days of August. And unlike a football season, where your season could be over in the first two or three games, depending on how you do — this is a marathon, and this is a baseball season. I would put it that way. So this is part of the bigger picture, and it's our job as the people who are speakers, if you will, and all the other people who are doing the real work on the ground, organizing to keep people interested and motivated.
BB: So you're anticipating more events similar to this in the future?
MM: I'll put it this way. We're lost, if you're a person who believes the things that I do, we're lost if there aren't more things like this in the future.
BB: That's Marc Murphy. He is one of the speakers at the No Kings event in Louisville this Saturday afternoon. Marc, thanks so much for your time.
MM: I really appreciate it. Thank you.
