Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition. Apologies for the delay with the story. There’s just a lot going on..

While many lament the polarized and seemingly internecine nature of politics in America and around the world in recent years, it was at least a breath of fresh air to witness one sweet, intergenerational exchange of thoughts on democracy aboard a busy downtown 1 train on Saturday, Oct. 18. It unfolded organically between a group of adults from Northwest Bronx Indivisible (NBI) who were on their way downtown to join the second, nationwide “No Kings Day” rally in Manhattan and a group of teens and kids on their way to a basketball game the same day.

 

With some NBI members donning the suggested bright yellow shirts on the day, and others wearing various political buttons and carrying signs, one which read, “Protest is Patriotic,” the “rebel rousing” adults appeared to attract the attention and curiosity of the youngsters seated and standing nearby in the crowded car. After a few questions, an impromptu discussion on democracy, voting, Native Americans, war, peace, ICE, immigration, and general politics ensued between the generations as the speeding train headed southbound.

NBI is a local chapter of Indivisible and has as its mission statement: “We’re a grassroots movement of thousands of local indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”

 

On government and its agencies, NBI member Daniel Guenzburger was heard explaining in part to some of the kids, which included Jayden and his younger brother, Armani, “It was not put together to harass or to grab control of due process and the things that are happening now. If you’re an immigrant…. you’re going to a courthouse for a hearing where you should get to state your case.”

 

Another male NBI member was then heard explaining to the youngsters, “I came of age during the Vietnam War so I would have been sent over there to fight with no voice. I had no voice. I was too young. I wasn’t allowed to say anything. Yet, I was going to be sent over there to kill people I didn’t know.” One of the kids asked the adult if he fought in the end, and he replied, “No, I didn’t fight. I didn’t go, finally. I was protesting to not go.”

 

The importance of voting was also highlighted by NBI. “If everybody voted, we wouldn’t be in this situation [with the Trump administration],” one member said. “I’ve always said if you don’t vote, you’ve no right to complain. I have the right to complain!”

Continuing to address the kids, he added, “The one thing is for more of your age to be doing what we’re doing right now because for us, we’re not going to be around much longer, and you’re going to have to live with what…[inaudible].” After some further exchanges, Guenzburger, who has a legal background, was heard saying, “Well, I wish you a lot of luck with your studies. I was always interested in how government impacts upon people and it does, so it’s an interesting thing to study.”

 

The adult group, which included at least one immigrant and some independent supporters, had assembled near 231^st Street and Broadway in Kingsbridge before making the trip downtown earlier that morning. Each person stated their personal reasons for joining the rally before boarding the train.

 

Laura, an NBI member, said she’s spent most of her life at protest marches. “I used to live in the D.C. area and we fought for and won two generations of reproductive health for women and then just lost it recently, and we know that you have to get out and fight for it, and let our elected representatives know that we’re watching them, and that this is what we want. That’s how we get our needs known, right?”

 

Along the journey, Guenzburger spoke to Norwood News about the group’s opposition to deporting immigrants without due process and their active support for detained local immigrant, Dylan, a Marble Hill high school student at ELLIS Preparatory Academy who was taken into custody by law enforcement in May and held, as reported, despite public outcry. He also spoke of NBI’s opposition to people’s Medicare being taken away, the cuts to the Affordable Care Act, and the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard in various cities across the country.

 

Another female member of the group had also talked about the importance of solidarity with Dylan, saying, “Dylan, himself, continues to sit in that GO center in Moshannon in Pennsylvania. He’s in detention, dispirited, and I know that we are giving him heart with the kind of thing we’re doing for him today.”

Rob Diamond and his wife Cathy also joined the group on the day, with Diamond saying, “I’m here for democracy, small d, and for the rule of law.” Cathy said she was originally an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago. “I believe in democracy. I’m a woman. I’ve seen America change. I’ve been here for 39 years and I’m a citizen.” She said since U.S. President Donald Trump came into power, she has felt a difference.

 

Another NBI member said, “My great grandparents actually left Italy under Mussolini’s rule and I guess it’s my turn now to [inaudible / fight facist rule?]” Later, Maryann, another NBI member, said, “I’ve been in an activist family for many years. My own mother was an activist and protested Vietnam. I was on the picket line at 9 years old in [inaudible/Skyview?] when they were discriminating against Black people so it’s kind of in my history.”

 

Guenzburger had advised the group to try to stay together even though it was going to be hard. “Try to sit next to someone, and let’s get to know each other,” he said as the group boarded the train.

Despite their collective, accumulated years, a long wait in line before the start of the Manhattan march and carrying their banners and belongings, the group were later spotted proudly and energetically marching along Broadway with thousands of others. They joined in various chants, which included, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” among others. Some signs read, “Fight Ignorance, not immigrants.”

 

Later, we spoke to one young woman, Ivy Lodito, and her friend who we estimated to be in their twenties about their reasons for being there. “We’re here as young women in America, knowing that our country is, and us, as Americans, are devoted to social justice and to advocacy, and that we will fight for the rights of all people, including immigrants, and for immigration reform,” Lodito said. “We are fighting for racial justice, gender justice, against Christian nationalism because there is a separation of Church and State and we really care about that.”

 

She continued, “As someone from the Church who works for the Church, knows that, as Christians, we need to stand up for the rights of all people and advocate for all people as God has intended us to do so, whether that’s LGBTQ, whether that’s people of color, whether that’s people who come from all over the world, we care about a global community fighting to make this world a better place. This administration is doing the exact opposite. We care deeply about human rights and compassion and peace and justice.”

We asked what Lodito believed would be a better approach to immigration policy. “Well, this administration is inhumane and treats them as the other and as less than,” she said. “We are supposed to treat people, in my opinion as a Christian, in the image of God,” she added. Lodito said other administrations had managed to deal with immigration in a more humane way “even though America has always had its problems.”

 

We asked if the two had a view on the perspective of some immigrants who follow the letter of the law and yet may feel they are being sidelined or placed in the back of the line while other immigrants, who may not necessarily follow the law, are prioritized. Lodito said she had heard of one case where an immigrant did follow the law and was waiting “years and years and years” and eventually died waiting for their papers. “Who would want to go through the right process when you can’t even get to the place that they need to be?” she asked.

 

Lodito also alleged the Trump administration quota for immigrants was getting smaller, compounding the difficulty for those applying. See attached graph further below of immigration numbers under different administrations since 1850. It had been widely reported at one point that more deportations took place under the Obama administration than under the first Trump administration though this may change by the end of the second Trump administration. Click here for some further analysis of the topic.

 

As reported, the president, by way of another executive order, recently cracked down on future H1B visa applications, visas typically obtained by “alien nonimmigrant workers” sponsored by an employer in a niche industry sector like, for example, healthcare.

 

Later that day, hundreds more Bronx protestors converged on Seton Park in Riverdale, joining the estimated 7 million people who also turned up to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration at more than 2,500 events across the country.

The Seton Park event, at West 232nd Street and Independence Avenue, was organized by Indivisible.org and, locally, by a large coalition of local groups, including Northwest Bronx Indivisible, the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, NYCD 16/15 Indivisible, Bend the Arc, the New York Progressive Action Network, Physicians for a National Health Program NY Metro, Bronx Progressives, the Benjamin Franklin Democratic Club, and the Unity Democratic Club, with the cooperation of many unaffiliated volunteers. Other local “No Kings” events were held in New Rochelle, Yonkers, and Manhattan.

 

Many in the crowd held homemade signs, one which read, “Only One King!” with a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while another in reference to Trump read, “You Sucked in Home Alone 2!” Organizers said chants were led by Alexis Vilcius, and singing by three musicians, Jerry Kisslinger, Bill Yaggy, and John Golomb. They later said that planned activities evolved into spontaneous action, including some speeches by several elected officials and other attendees.

 

These included Democrats, Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), City Council Member Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), and Female Democratic District Leader Abigail Martin (A.D. 81). Organizers added, “An NYPD contingent, led by Det. Rasha Jamsheer, cooperated smoothly with the organizers, especially in adapting to the enormous growth in registration over the last week, to keep the event completely safe and peaceful.”

Torres attended the event only because U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson had called for an extended vacation amid the federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, after lawmakers failed to pass a budget.

 

Speaking of Trump, Torres told the crowd, “He’s using the United States military against the American people. He does not believe in government of, and by, and for the people. He believes in government of, and for, and by Donald Trump and so, we’re here with a simple message: Donald Trump, you’re no king! We are a democracy, we are citizens, and we are able and willing to fight for our democracy!”

 

Torres concluded, “American democracy is on life support and whether it lives, whether we resuscitate it, will depend on us, whether we fight back, because if we don’t fight back, no one else will. It depends on the resistance to Donald Trump.” He then led the crowd into a chant of, “When we fight, we win!”

The crowd was also heard chanting, “Stand up! Fight back!” and “Here is something everyone thinks, ICE off the streets and in our drinks!” Others included, “Trump sucks! What do you know? Billionaires have got to go!”

 

One of the organizers, Helen, referred to Trump’s recent comment about how his presidential authority allowed him to do anything he wanted. Helen told the crowd, “We, the people, are governed by laws, not dictatorship, we, the people, and the soybean farmers who cannot sell their crops, families who cannot afford their healthcare, and the cost of food, women who could not get an abortion, who had been savagely raped, federal workers in mass numbers who have lost their jobs, and the many people who are not getting a salary because of the government!”

 

With several participants playing guitars, the crowd then sang the Woody Guthrie song, “This Land is Your Land.” With the sounds and smells of the 1960s very much the order of the day, even one woman was heard telling a friend, “Oh, now I smell it a little, my first whiff.” She was apparently referring to the smell of marijuana in the air. One difference from the ‘60s was that weed is now legal in New York State.

Members of the Northwest Bronx Indivisible Group get chatting about democracy and other topics with a group of curious kids and teens heading to a basketball tournament aboard a downtown 1 train as the former group, armed with buttons and signs, travels from The Bronx to Midtown Manhattan for the 2nd “No Kings Day” rally on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Video by Norwood News

Leaving the rally, Riverdale resident named Dale told Norwood News of the gathering, “It was a very large rally for The Bronx! Oh yeah!” Asked if this was her first protest, Dale replied, “Every protest that they’ve had against Trump, I’ve gone to.”

 

Meanwhile, Ely of Kingsbridge said, “It was wonderful! All kinds of creative signage, lots of people. There were several people in costumes. There were a couple of people in frog costumes. There was a guy in a Barney costume, but I didn’t see anyone in a chicken suit.” Ely continued, “But the spirit, the creativity, and the effervescence was there. Good crowd!”

 

Showing some disappointment as he walked down West 235th Street, Ely added, “I’m parked way down the block.” The organizer said, “Lots of parking.” Ely replied, “Yeah but lots of people eat up lots of parking.” When told that several people in the crowd said they could not hear the speakers, Ely replied, “We didn’t hear any speakers or anyone speaking. There were speakers, I guess. You can’t keep a politician away from it…a crowd like this.”

Members of the Northwest Bronx Indivisible Group get chatting about democracy and other topics with a group of curious kids and teens heading to a basketball tournament aboard a downtown 1 train as the former group, armed with buttons and signs, travels from The Bronx to Midtown Manhattan for the 2nd “No Kings Day” rally on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Video by Norwood News

Asked when he attended his last protest, Eli said, “The last protest I attended of this kind was back in 1970 during the Vietnam War. I was in college, and we brought the college to a standstill, and we had large demonstrations. I was a part of that. Nothing since, no.”

 

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the assemblyman said of the rally, “I was thrilled that 7 million people around the country came out to protest Trump and his policies. I think that’s an amazing number.” He added, “It was a huge crowd, and it was just like every other protest. It was peaceful, people peacefully exercising their right to protest.”

 

The assemblyman referenced the crackdown on undocumented immigrants by masked ICE agents, the pardoning by Trump of January 6^th defendants, and his sending of National Guard troops into American cities. “All these things, taken together, are anti-democratic and are signs of authoritarianism and these are things that, you know, we have to speak out against, that we have to hopefully stop, and I think these protests that took place Saturday was just an amazing thing to behold.”

Members of the Northwest Bronx Indivisible Group get chatting about democracy and other topics with a group of curious kids and teens heading to a basketball tournament aboard a downtown 1 train as the former group, armed with buttons and signs, travels from The Bronx to Midtown Manhattan for the 2nd “No Kings Day” rally on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Video by Norwood News

Asked about the faulty PA system, Dinowitz said, “I don’t know if they had a sound permit.” He added, “I know it was kind of hard to hear people too far away. The organizers of this event kind of screwed up when it came to the sound. There was something that was wrong with the sound system.”

 

After the nationwide rally, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), a co-sponsor of the nationwide events, issued a statement that read in part, “We will not stand by as the president who would be king wreaks havoc on our courts, schools, and universities or tries to control what we’re allowed to say, believe or advocate. We will not let him weaponize The People’s justice system for petty, personal vendettas or let him turn back the clock on equal rights.”

Earlier in Manhattan, we also spoke to Alexa Martinez, a Fordham University student, who said, “I’m here today because I’m the product of immigrants and I hate the Trump administration. I think they are pure evil. We have to fight the oligarchy. It’s our right to citizens to stand up for what’s wrong. We have the right to overthrow. We have the right to free speech. I’m a journalism major as an undergrad. This is really important to me.”

 

Martinez said her mother is Columbian and her father is Mexican. “I don’t want to be silenced,” the young student said. “I can’t allow this to happen. This is my country. I was born here. I have the right to protect it. My parents have fought long and hard for me to have a great education, and this privilege and I will not be stripped of it.”

 

Editor’s Note: Our thanks to Joe Dubiel for contributing some additional information to this story.