No Kings Protest - McKinney, TX
Posts like this can be tricky. I’ve read several articles lately about photographers who have stopped photographing protests because the reader assumes too much about the photographer’s intent. I think that is largely a comment on how polarized our society has become, a society where individuals assume the righteousness of their own way of thinking without the willingness to hear another’s point of view.
This woman and her husband are both Veterans.
My goal as a photographer, and dare I say, an aspiring “citizen journalist,” is to record and report on events that are occurring in my area. The reader should neither assume 100% agreement nor 100% disagreement with the sentiment of the protest. At the same time, pure objectivism is impossible. Every historian, editor, and photographer chooses to include some parts of a story or their experiences while choosing to exclude others. It is no different here. There are things I chose not to photograph, and, for various reasons, there are photographs I took that I am choosing not to post.
So, with that in mind, here is my take on the No Kings protest held on June 14, 2025, in McKinney, TX, one of many such protests held around the US and even the globe.
Protesters Came Pouring In!
On the drive to McKinney, I told my daughter I didn’t expect to see too many protesters, and when we first arrived, I saw what I expected. However, over the next hour or two, hundreds and hundreds of people arrived, filling the public green spaces along 380 and the North Central Expressway. As the crowd swelled, I was surprised, to say the least.
Protest Coverage Area
From left to right between the two police officers are the safety volunteer in the DAD t-shirt and the organizer in the Hands Off! t-shirt. The police were friendly and approachable and in no way interfered with the protest.
The red line is my best guess at the area covered by protesters. I believe it went further down 380 than I have depicted, but I didn’t walk end-to-end. The organizer said that based on the number of registered protesters, she was expecting 1,500 people. I believe there were likely more.
Map screenshot from Google Maps. Red lines added.
The protest wasn’t limited to people who chose to line the streets. Others chose to show their support from their cars as they drove down 380.
As the morning drew on, 380 became congested with traffic packed bumper-to-bumper. The traffic was mixed with many drivers honking and displaying signs of support, while a few anti-protesters gave everyone “the finger.”
They Came from all Walks of Life
As surprised as I was at the number of people who came out to protest, my daughter was just as surprised by the age demographic. From what she understood, this was largely a young people’s movement.
The reality is that people from all ages, races, religious and political affiliations, and backgrounds came to protest.
And of course, my daughter wasn’t wrong, there were plenty of your people mixed in with everyone else.
In addition to the protesters, there were also rally leaders who repeatedly walked up and down the line, leading everyone in chants and playing “freedom” music to energize everyone.
While taking photos, I met another father/daughter pair and stopped for a chat before asking to take their photo. According to the father, his daughter has led protests of her own in the recent past.
Regardless of your side of the protest, democracy in the US gives people the right to free speech and to peacefully protest, and it is always good to see people exercising their rights.
The protest was peaceful, and everyone obeyed the laws with regard to not blocking access to any sidewalk, road, business, or driveway, allowing others to freely go about their business.
“Freedom bubbles” was the comment from one protester.
