More than 120 people gathered Saturday in Ovid for a “No Kings Day” rally organized by Indivisible Seneca.
A separate rally in Watkins Glen drew a peak crowd of 412 people the same day.
Participants in Ovid faced an 11-degree wind chill in a village of about 550 residents. The event was part of a national day of protests, with organizers reporting more than 3,200 registered sites.
Similar rallies took place in Seneca Falls, Geneva, Watkins Glen and Canandaigua.
Attendees in Ovid carried signs supporting democratic governance and opposing authoritarianism. Messages included “King-free since 1776,” “Save the Republic,” and “Yes to patriotism, no to kings.”
Some signs highlighted rural and military perspectives, including “Farmers against Fascism” and “Veterans against Trump.”
Ovid resident and military veteran David Wood said, “this just goes to show you how many people want to do othe right thing, and want the right thing to be done for them.”
In Watkins Glen, organizers said they collected about $225 for local food pantries along with several boxes of food and cleaning products.
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