On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 18, locals gathered in the square of downtown Hagerstown, Chambersburg and Waynesboro to exercise their First Amendment rights with a peaceful protest.
Nearly all surrounding areas saw peaceful demonstrations celebrating freedom of speech and voicing their opinions on the current administration and political climate. Hagerstown, Chambersburg and Waynesboro were among many, joining the estimated 2,700 protests that occurred nationally and attracting some 7 million participants.
The 50501 Movement and Indivisible were the primary organizers of the ‘No Kings’ protests nationally, but local movements and organizations help to establish local assemblies.
The Hagerstown protest attracted over 1,000 protesters as estimated by Washington County Indivisible, one of the organizers. Featuring guest speakers, music, t-shirts for sale and a march around town, Hagerstown residents made their voices heard through civil action. The demonstration took place from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday and remained peaceful throughout its duration with some drivers honking as they passed.
According to Indivisible, about 550 protestors participated in Waynesboro, demonstrating peacefully, according to the Indivisible Facebook group. Another 500 protestors took part in Chambersburg, according to the Franklin County Democratic Committee’s Facebook page.
This protest follows the April 2025 ‘No Kings’ protests that occurred nationwide. For more events like this, visit https://wcindivisible.weebly.com.
