PROVIDENCE — Saturday’s No Kings protest at the Statehouse was a huge disappointment. I didn’t see any Hamas terrorists. There were no illegal aliens from Mars or anywhere else in outer space, unless there was an invasion of body snatchers. If there were violent criminals present, they didn’t show themselves. There wasn’t even kneeling Black athletes to boo or burning flags to rescue.

The D.C. regime and its loyalists in Congress told me to expect a bloodbath of senseless violence, like an Ultimate Fighting Championship event or the storming of the U.S. Capitol. They promised these nationwide protests were going to be “hate America rallies” featuring extremists, Marxists, and professional protesters being paid by a 95-year-old Jew from Hungary.

All I saw were moms and dads with kids, grandparents, couples, students, veterans of the military and of life, and an estimated 15,000 people concerned about the country’s rapid descent into authoritarianism.

Boring.

I’m beginning to think MAGA is just making stuff up. I don’t think anyone was paid to be there, except the city and state police on hand. I didn’t see any displays of hate, although there was plenty of disgust directed toward the White House. I think I’m being gaslit.

There was a bilateral amputee walking on prosthetics, others using walking aids, and some people in wheelchairs. A group of ladies sang “God Bless America,” and a few people were blowing bubbles. A friendly woman was handing out “Know Your Rights” business cards. Asian, Black, Brown, and White people walked in unity. There was a marching band. Mr. Compost Man was helping people make emotional compost.

The Inflatable Antifa Militia was deployed. It featured a few Dinosaurs, at least two Bald Eagles, a Statue of Liberty, a Shark and a Lobster (a tribute to the Ocean State, I think), Tweety Bird, a Pickle, a Witch, a Unicorn and Cow holding hands, a Chicken, a Duck, a Caterpillar, a Polar Bear, and, of course, a Frog. They didn’t seem to be carrying weapons.

The only violent group I came across was the Raging Grannies of Rhode Island, and they were singing songs of peace and unity. The only violent sign I saw was “I Like My ICE Crushed.”

Come on.

There was no incoherent talk of low-flow showerheads or toilets that need to be flushed multiple times. No jokes about blowing up fishermen in the Caribbean. No whining about how the 2020 election was rigged. Nobody claimed they ended eight wars in a week. No one told us to drink bleach, or scared us about Tylenol. No U.S.-born citizens of color were told to go back to their shithole countries. No Black woman was told she is low IQ. No one smeared their own feces in or on the Statehouse. There were no grandiose displays of narcissism. No one begged to be given the Nobel Peace Prize.

There were, though, chants of “This is what democracy looks like,” “No tyrants. No kings,” “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Donald Trump has to go,” and many others. But none enthused hate.

There were no vendors selling silly red hats or trumped-up posters. But there were plenty of dogs and lots of awesome signs.

Oct. 18 No Kings protests were held in about 2,500 communities across the country, from rural Idaho to New York City, and drew an estimated 7 million people. The inaugural No Kings protests, held June 14, drew an estimated 5 million participants to some 2,100 demonstrations.

A few days before the protests commenced, the regime introduced the idea of revamping the U.S. refugee program to favor white people and members of far-right European hate groups. On its first day in office, the regime suspended all refugee admissions. An exception was made in May, when the regime took in about 60 white Afrikaners from South Africa, classifying them as a “priority” and claiming they face “race-based persecution.” A South African court had ruled otherwise.

Four days before the No Kings protests were held we found out why protesting authoritarianism, abuses of power, corruption, government-sponsored violence, and fascism is considered a hate rally.

On Oct. 14 Politico reported leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country, in online chats, referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people,” mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers, talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide, and lauded MAGAs who they believe support slavery.

They used variations of a vile racial slur, one referred to rape as “epic,” and they believe bullying is a tool to be wielded.

MAGA world, including the speaker of the House and the vice president, brushed aside this hateful, abhorrent, Nazi-loving venom, because they share the same vile beliefs, or worse, in my opinion, are using the Useful Idiot in the Oval Office to enrich themselves and/or hold positions they are remarkably unfit to occupy.

Even if that means torching the Constitution, fearmongering, and trying to install a king.

Frank Carini can be reached at [email protected]. His opinions don’t reflect those of ecoRI News.