No Kings rallies bring a vote-early message to Monterey, Salinas and Big Sur on Saturday
Three Monterey County rallies are set for Saturday, Oct. 17, in Salinas at noon, Monterey at 2 p.m. and Big Sur at 4 p.m., part of more than 2,500 No Kings events nationwide urging people to vote early ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Three No Kings rallies are set across Monterey County on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Salinas, Monterey and Big Sur, carrying a single main message this round: vote early. The local events are part of more than 2,500 protests and marches planned across the country, according to Monterey County Weekly.
The emphasis on early voting is meant to help voters avoid any issues that arise in the days leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3, the Weekly reported. National organizers have said the protests will be nonpartisan and will not focus on candidate endorsements, and that active campaigning will be prohibited.
"Power does not belong to billionaires, strongmen or politicians who believe they are above accountability," organizers of the national No Kings event said in promotional materials. "Power belongs to the people, but only if we use it."
The Salinas rally takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at the intersection of South Main Street and Blanco Road, along the sidewalks by the Star Market parking lot. A statewide roundup by Courier California, part of the USA Today Network, also lists the Salinas event from noon to 2 p.m. at the sidewalks along the Star Shopping Center, the shopping center at that corner.
In Monterey, the rally runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue. The Weekly reported that the program will include speakers and a short performance of "It Can't Happen Here Again!", based on Sinclair Lewis' 1935 satirical dystopian novel "It Can't Happen Here", performed by cast members of Readers Theater and accompanied by local protest band Rabble. Afterward, participants will walk together to the Monterey County Elections drop box in front of the Monterey Public Library, and participants are encouraged to bring their filled-in ballots. The Peace Coalition of Monterey County's Weekly Peace Calendar lists Indivisible and 50501 Monterey Bay as the local organizers, describing the day as a national day of nonpartisan voter participation. Rallygoers in Monterey are also invited to bring non-perishable food items, new clothing and household products to help stock ALL IN Monterey's Kindness Closet, according to an organizer post on the BigSurKate blog.
The Big Sur rally follows from 4 to 6 p.m., meeting at the Cooper Cabin Trailhead in Andrew Molera State Park. Organizers said some chairs will be available, and they are encouraging people to bring hats and water, the Weekly reported.
The No Kings events are organized nationally by a broad coalition that includes Indivisible, the 50501 Movement, the American Civil Liberties Union and MoveOn Civic Action, according to Courier California.
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