‘No Kings’ Protest Takes Places in Sedalia on Independence Day

About two dozen people took part in a “No Kings” protest on the Fourth of July in Sedalia.

The protest took place in the 200 block of West Broadway, where the old Broadway Arms bowling alley used to be located. The property owner put up yellow caution tape and “No Trespassing” signs around the grassy area. Protesters stayed on the right of way along Broadway, holding up signs that were strongly against President Trump and his policies that have been implement over the past six months.

Three SPD units quietly showed up about 20 minutes into the planned two-hour protest. They did not approach the protestors but remained in their patrol cars and were apparently on civil standby.

Many motorists driving past the protectors honked in solidarity. Some yelled out their windows, while one driver used his PA system to make his views known as well, as he drove by, making more than one pass at the protestors.

One of the sign-welding protestors, Tina Schroeder, agreed to speak with KSIS about her views on “No Kings” in the USA.

“I feel like we’re fighting for our democracy right now,” Schroeder responded when asked why she was spending part of her Fourth of July holiday on the side of a highway protesting Trump.

“There's been so many freedoms that have been taken away from so many different people, that I feel it is very important to stand up and say that we’re not going to take it," Schroeder said.

The retired RN said she hoped to spread awareness of the situation, adding that the most recent development in Washington that upset her was that the “EPA was put on leave for speaking their minds.”

She went on to say that “I believe we need clean water and clean air. We need somebody who’s going to stand up to big corporations and stop them from polluting,” she said, adding that “regulations have been greatly loosened. And that’s scary.”

Schroeder stated that “some big corporations are all about profits and do not care about who gets hurt. So we need regulations to stop them.”

She noted that “if everybody were honest and did the right thing, we wouldn’t need regulations. However, as we know, people are going to break the laws and do things that could harm others, if they’re not held accountable.”

As for protesting on the Fourth of July, Schroeder, who has lived in Sedalia for 13 years, said that she “felt it was very important on this day of Independence to recognize that our democracy is at stake.”

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Now that Trump’s “big beautiful bill” has passed, Schroeder urged votes to keep calling their legislators.

“We just have to keep voting, writing and standing up,” she concluded, adding that she thinks the chances of the Democrats winning the mid-term elections are very good. “Because, as this affects more and more people, those (voters) are going to come out and say they were wrong. It’s okay to say ‘this isn’t what I voted for,’ and you’re welcome to stand with us.”