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FAIRFIELD – A few dozen residents gathered in Fairfield’s Central Park on Saturday, April 19 for a “No Kings” rally.

Rally participant Holly Manon Moore noted that it coincided with the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride on April 18, 1775. Moore said the purpose of the rally was to object to recent actions of the Trump Administration.

Moore held a sign that read “They are eating the checks! They are eating the balances!” She said this was both a reference to cuts undertaken by DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, and a reference to Donald Trump’s remarks during a debate last fall in which he was quoted as saying “They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," in response to a question on immigration.

Moore said she understood the administration’s desire to cut waste from the federal government, but added “we can’t do it this year, which is deeply endangering.”

Attendee Ivana Kurtz held a sign that read “No Kings!” and said she came to the rally to object to the administration sending people to prison in other countries. She said that, if Trump is allowed to do that, “he can do anything to anybody.”

Attendee Julie Nelson said she was “outraged our democracy is being torn apart” and that “we might lose it.”

“I’m terrified about what the tariffs will do to agriculture,” she said.

Nelson said she and her husband are also worried about a lack of funding for Veterans Affairs, since her husband relies on the VA.

Attendee Chad Timblin held a sign that read “First They Came for Kilmar, Next They Can Come for You.” He said this was in reference to the Trump Administration deporting a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, where he was placed in a prison known by its abbreviation, CECOT. Timblin said the man was deported to the prison without due process, and had not been convicted of any crimes.

“There are a lot of issues I care about, but this concerns me the most,” he said.

The rally was organized by Fairfield United.