Signs, strollers and solidarity: Inside Malden’s ‘No Kings’ rally

Malden turned out to City Hall Plaza for the local iteration of the 2026 No Kings rally, one of thousands of such events held in cities and towns across the country and internationally. Anna Geoffroy, who acted as security warden, said about 250 people attended, with many planning to continue on to the Boston protest.

Neighborhood View caught up with residents of all ages who took to the streets to express their opinions with chants and creative signs.

The program opened with an address from House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, whose district includes Malden. Clark brought a national message to a local crowd and cited the city’s role in the American Revolution — Malden was the first town to formally instruct its representatives to vote for independence from Great Britain.

“It was the Malden Instructions that laid out what the Declaration of Independence was going to be, and Malden was the first in the colonies to call out that the king, that could watch the slaughter of his own people and not call out against it, had no place in government,” Clark said.

That spirit of anti-tyranny is still alive in the city, which will experience democracy in action this week.

“I know that you’re going to vote on Tuesday, and you’re going to keep voting all the way till November,” said Clark. “You are the ones with the power. And it’s the same message you sent to the Congressional Congress in Philadelphia in 1776.”

The rally was co-sponsored by Malden Democrats and local Indivisible branch Mystic Valley Progressives, which covers Malden and Medford. Other speakers included Geoffroy, Billerica resident and veteran Teresa English, and Malden activists and organizers Karen Lynch, Zayda Ortiz and Joelle Taylor.

Many families with young children attended the rally.

“We’re here because we don’t agree with the fascist takeover of America,” said Ada Gunning, who was there with her husband, Aaron, and their two young children.

Asked why they brought their kids, Aaron Gunning replied, “I think it’s important that they see what civic participation looks like.”

“I am here today, in particular, with my daughter to show her what community action looks like,” Meredith Amshoff said.

For some, it was their first time attending a protest. Diane Fortier is a 43-year Malden resident who raised her family here and once worked at Malden Hospital.

“I’m here because of the status of the country right now . . . Trump started being dictator against everything that I ever learned in civics class in the ninth grade, everything that I’ve ever done in my life, taught my children, and it’s all going to hell . . . I’ve never been to a protest before, so I just thought I’d come over and see what it’s all about and express my displeasure, and hopefully meet some nice people,” Fortier said.

Devyn Davila DiMarco, a junior at Malden Catholic, represented the high-school demographic.

“I see so many people in my school who don’t understand the gravity of it, because nobody is talking to them about it. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, they’re too young to understand this. Oh, they’re too young to do anything.’ But we’re the ones inheriting this, and if we just let it go, then we’re going to be inheriting tyranny. We’re going to be inheriting something that we can’t change.” Davila DiMarco said.

Kathy Keleher is angry.

“I cannot support what is going on in our country. I’m completely against the corruption, the cruelty, I.C.E., there’s just so much. I mean, he’s taking every million dollars he can get his hands on into his own bank account. And … this war in Iran, which is costing a billion dollars a day in the Middle East, without a plan. It’s just appalling. That [these rallies] are increasing is very important. And I think that our elected representatives in our governments everywhere, notice that — because the elections later this year, they’re trying to steal the election, of course.” Keleher said.

More images from the rally

(Click to enlarge photos)

Neighborhood View team members Kim Brookes, Anne D’Urso-Rose, Lorna Garey and Karen Buck contributed to this article. Thanks to Diana Jeong for contributing her photos.