EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (October 18, 2025) — A crowd of more than 200 residents gathered Saturday morning at Century Park, near the Community Center along busy U.S. 69 Highway, for a peaceful “No Kings Rally” organized by resident Bob Neal.
The two-hour event, held from 10 a.m. to noon, was one of many “No Kings” demonstrations across Missouri and the nation. Participants lined the park’s edge with handmade signs, some wearing paper crowns turned into parody hats to symbolize resistance to authoritarianism and the idea that no one person should rule above the law.
Adding to the lighthearted but defiant atmosphere, an inflatable dancing hippo swayed beside the crowd, a nod to protests in Portland, Oregon, where demonstrators have used whimsical props, including inflatable animals, as symbols of peaceful resistance after former President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops to occupy parts of the city.
Honks of encouragement echoed throughout the morning from passing motorists. Although a handful voiced disapproval, revving engines, waving Trump flags, or shouting, “Trump 2028!”
Counter-protesters driving by the “No Kings in America” rally along U.S. 69 Highway voiced their opposition with flags, signs, and hand gestures from passing vehicles. Click on the photos below to view larger images.
Neal, who assigned volunteers to count arrivals from the north end of the park, said attendance reached 202 people by the end of the rally. Neal said he was motivated to organize the rally out of concern for the nation’s political direction.
“Our democracy’s falling apart,” he said. “We’ve got a leader that’s not following the laws, and a Senate and House that are allowing it. They’re taking care of billionaires, not the American people.”
While the event had the feel of a neighborhood gathering, laughter, singing, and handmade signs, its message was serious. Many attendees said they fear the country is, in their words, “on a trajectory toward fascism,” citing Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his praise of autocratic leaders, and his repeated attacks on the judicial system and press.
Congressional candidate joins in
Among those in attendance was Josh Smead, a Democratic candidate for Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, which spans the northern third of the state from the Missouri River to the Iowa border.
“My campaign is about the three F’s: family, freedom, and future,” Smead said. “What we’re seeing at the federal level and here in Missouri isn’t good for our families. Our freedoms are under attack, whether it’s gerrymandering or the sense that we’ve got someone who thinks he’s a monarch in charge.”
Smead, who lives in Liberty, said he was heartened by the Excelsior Springs turnout. Looking around as he spoke, he said, “There’s well over 150 here, it’s amazing. Everyone’s peaceful, relaxed, and friendly. No matter how critics try to paint it, this isn’t anti-American. It’s hopeful.”
Grassroots energy in Excelsior Springs
By the time the rally wrapped up, Neal was still smiling and waving to drivers honking in support.
“I was expecting maybe 50 people,” he said. “When people just kept coming in, I was shocked. I can hardly believe it. It’s amazing.”
The Excelsior Springs rally joins a growing list of peaceful demonstrations nationwide organized under the “No Kings” banner, a movement meant to remind Americans that, as one sign read, “We’re a democracy, not a dictatorship.”
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