Earlier this October, frustrated Americans across the country convened for the second No Kings protest, a national movement in opposition of the Donald Trump administration.
Protesters raised signs and shouted chants, voicing concerns about policies, such as deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in communities and federal budget decisions.
In Ypsilanti, about 4,000 people gathered for the city's first No Kings demonstration, said Gordon McAllister, founder of Ypsi Indivisible, the event organizer. Organizers called the event a success. But what’s next for creating an effective, sustained movement?
Building back support amid cuts
For Ypsi Indivisible, it looks like building and living in community, McAllister said. With the federal government still shut down, McAllister said he has concerns about the well-being of Ypsilanti residents who may be impacted by a disruption to services, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
He said that Ann Arbor Indivisible, a group with which Ypsi Indivisible collaborates, is organizing a food bank to help support residents facing food insecurity.
Already, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been instructed to pause November SNAP benefits, said a letter issued by the department. Approximately 1.4 million households in Michigan receive SNAP benefits, the letter said.
Even without threats to SNAP benefits, Washtenaw County residents may experience hunger, with one in seven county residents reporting food insecurity, as stated in a fall 2025 report from Food Gatherers. Of those, about 45% are likely ineligible for SNAP benefits, the report stated.
“It’s a tough time, I know, for people, and they’ll have to look towards their community for support,” McAllister said. “Hopefully, we can help each other out, because we’re all in the same boat.”
Food insecurity is exacerbated by federal cuts, said Annie Somerville, democratic Washtenaw County commissioner for District Six.
"People don't realize, I think, unless you're facing food insecurity, how bad things are right now for people who are already struggling," Somerville said. "If a regular, middle-class human being is feeling the pinch of the pocketbook when they're grocery shopping, imagine what it's like for somebody who is trying to squeeze every dollar of SNAP benefits."
Organizations like Food Gatherers and Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels are working to try to fill the gaps caused by federal cuts, Somerville said. Housing is another concern Somerville has seen Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County residents face.
Democratic County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi, who attended the No Kings rally, said lack of health insurance is another major issue Americans face, and cuts from the federal level will only worsen it.
“40,000 Americans already die every year from a lack of health insurance," said Rabhi, who represents District Eight. "We’re gonna see even more who are going to face death or these difficult decisions of ‘Do I pay my bills or do I get my cancer treatment?’ That’s totally unacceptable, and in our community, we can do a lot to support people here in Washtenaw County who are facing those direct pocketbook cuts that are coming from the Trump administration.”
Health for All Washtenaw estimates that 7% of Ypsilanti residents are uninsured, higher than surrounding cities, including Ann Arbor.
As program cuts come down from the federal level, Rabhi said county and local governments should respond by expanding their role and building back those services on a local level.
“That’s what we need to be organizing right now is, how do we create the support in our community and expand the role of our county and local governments in supporting people that are facing these massive cuts?” Rahbi said.
Local government has responded by fighting back against some federal demands, Somerville said. In April, Homeland Security demanded Washtenaw ID data from Washtenaw County officials to use to target undocumented individuals in the county, Somerville said.
"It's not data we've ever been required to hand over to the feds; it's not a federal program, and so we chose to hire really expensive attorneys and fight the Trump administration," Somerville said.
Resistance through community
The key to sustaining a movement is to empower organizers who are engaging with the community, Somerville said.
"Elected officials sometimes get too much credit, and really, it's the regular people sitting at home who are trying to find ways to keep communities engaged when, quite frankly, there's a fascist takeover of our government right now," Somerville said. "It's really hard for all of us to figure out how to react, but the best way, in my opinion, to react is in community with others, and letting other people feel empowered to react to all the unconstitutional things happening around us."
As a community organizer, McAllister said it's important to lean on others in order to build that sense of community. He recommended finding a group of like-minded people and giving everyone a chance to utilize their unique talents.
“You need a good support group around you,” McAllister said. “You gotta put a network together, of people who are like-minded, that are willing to help out in any way that they can and are willing to use their talents.”
Everyone has a strength that can be useful in supporting others, but it requires taking a risk and getting involved, he said.
“People make mistakes, we make mistakes when we do things, but we don’t give up, just go try something different and keep moving forward to help everybody else,” McAllister said.
“Who knows what will happen next month, or next week, that might affect even more people,” he added. “We’ve gotta be community; that’s what community is: helping each other out.”
