Belcher: No Kings, The Mask of Non-Violence

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“Non-violence,” to most, means the purposed avoidance of aggression – both immediately and as a direct result of the task at hand. The “No Kings” protest I attended yesterday, October 2025, claimed this term for itself, posing as a peaceful stand against executive overreach. Instead, it revealed “non-violence” as a mask and useful tool.

The reality was stark. Of around 200 attendees, perhaps half identified openly as “antifa,” with several in Black Bloc gear, but most simply displaying signage as such. Not less than three artistic gallows exhibits dominated the protest – nooses and names of prominent Republicans attached to each. A wooden scaffold with a noose and hangman effigy depicting a dead President was carried by an older white woman dressed as the Grim Reaper, complete with scythe. A tree-hung large display prominently featured next to the main stage – seemingly placed by event organizers – listed reasons for the hangings attached to each noose, and including items from “climate” to “Palestine.”

From the stage the event organizers led chants of “Stand up, fight back!” aimed at resisting police or ICE arrests, followed by a pitch to visit a booth for “migrant justice” recruiting for “direct action” and “de-arrest” against federal agents: Antifa terror tactics. A bail-fund tent next door collected donations to free arrested activists, effectively providing direct funding to a terrorist organization in Antifa.

A rally segment was dedicated to defending violence against conservatives. I had thought going in the one topic they surely wouldn’t touch was the Kirk assassination. But, I should have thought better – they could never let that discomforting cognitive dissonance linger. In branding Charlie Kirk a “hateful bigot” who clearly got what was coming to him for listing progressive professors, allegedly sparking “death threats,” and clearly making the Communist Left the “real victims,” they gave their audience permission to go on offense. The crowd cheered, framing conservative speech as provocation warranting reprisal. Even those with signage I thought I could find common ground with, such as the young woman wearing the “kill all rapists” sweater, quickly dispelled my error as she led chants accusing every prominent member of the administration of “rape.”

The rally’s “non-violent communications” were its slyest tool. Gen-Z female speakers, using a patronizing tone of early childhood educators soothing kindergartners’ “big feelings,” set a low bar for offense: any conservative stance on borders or culture could be “harmful.” This served two purposes. It united fractious leftists—Queers, Anarchists and Islamists—by stifling differences under forced empathy and a prohibition on discussing divisive issues. Later, they could simply form affinity groups for when it’s time to affect violence to continue to assure disparate factions don’t start fighting each other. It also greenlit aggression against the Right, as was witnessed in verbal accosting of a lone counter-protestor, redefining their words as “violence” to excuse real hostility and personal hatred.

“No Kings” exposed leftist “non-violence” as a tactical lie, where the overwhelming message of the event itself is “death to our enemies, just not here and now” where that might damage their perception.

Rep. Mike Belcher represents the towns of Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham, Freedom, Wakefield