Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Hundreds of people marched from Houghton’s BridgeView Park to Hancock Saturday, following the No Kings rally which began at the BridgeView Park on Lake View Drive.

HOUGHTON – Hundreds of people gathered at the BridgeView Park on Houghton’s Lake View Drive Saturday for a No Kings rally before marching across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.

The No Kings rally, according to the Copper Country League of Women Voters’ October newsletter, was in support of democracy. This rally was not unique.

National Public Radio reported on Saturday that demonstrators across the U.S. took to the streets on Saturday to protest the policies of President Trump. The marches are part of the No Kings movement, which has accused the president of behaving more like a monarch than an elected official.

The rally began at Noon in Houghton with a series of speakers, the final one was Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Pastor Bucky Beach, who wore a paper Burger King crown.

“Don’t let the Burger King crown fool you,” Beach said to the crowd. “I don’t see anybody else with one out there. We all need to have this on today.”

Beach said everyone needed to have a crown, because if anybody are the kings and queens are leaders of the country, it is the people.

Beach went on to say that while the rally attendees come from many places, their action begins in the Copper Country.

“We are united in standing up to protect our world,” he said. “We are united in standing to protect those we care about and love, especially those who are vulnerable, but even advocating for the rights and protection of those with whom we disagree.”

Beach, according to the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Houghton, is s a retired pastor from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church / Lutheran Campus Ministry.

During his speech he said when it comes to something like democracy, he hears all people are created equal and there are certain truths that self-evident.

“But those are ideas,” he said, “and they only become reality if ware committed to making those ideas a reality.\ in our political an our social and economic and religious institutions that we create.”

Equality, he said, is a political idea, and a religious idea, and those ideas are being challenged by people who see things a different way.

“If we are going to talk about religion and politics in the public square, we need to have a real moral debate about religious and political and policy violence being contrary to American and religious values. We’ve got work to do.”

During the bridge march, some concerned was expressed over radio scanner traffic when a man carrying a rifle walked across the bridge in the face of the marchers. It was reported that a number of marchers flew flags over the sidewalk into traffic. The march ended peacefully at just after 2 p.m. with no incidents