No Kings Rally Offers Mutual Aid in Northern New York

On October 17, 2026, over 3,000 No Kings Day rallies took place throughout the United States. The past two nationwide No Kings days have focused on sending a clear message: that in the United States, even when our leaders believe they are above accountability, we have no kings. This year, with the midterm elections set to occur in early November, No Kings Day was intended to help citizens establish a plan for voting as a means of proving that power belongs to the people – not billionaires or politicians. 

One of these events took place in Watertown, New York, a city of around 23,000 people just south of the border with Canada, mostly surrounded by rural farmland. Here, hundreds of protesters gathered in the city’s Public Square with their eye on local congressional races.

At the No Kings rally in Watertown, NY. (All photos courtesy of the author.) 

Lake Effect Progress NNY

The event was organized by Lake Effect Progress of Northern New York, a grassroots group that engages citizens and provides valuable mutual aid to the local community. The organization’s website features an archive of posters from over 30 events they have hosted since early 2025, such as pop-up rallies for neighbors detained by ICE, LGBTQIA+ Pride events, community picnics, May Day celebrations, and four No Kings rallies, including this one. At this weekend’s event, as with most of their rallies, the organization had a box bursting with signs free for anyone to use.

At the No Kings rally, the group was assisting residents with voter registration and collecting food items and toiletries for barrier-free distribution directly to community members. Cassandra Feeley, one of the organization’s board members, explained that the resource sharing aspect of their events is often overlooked, but the heart of their mission is “proactive transformation and to help create a radical community of care.” 

“The barrier-free distribution is a vital component,” she says. “There are no questions and no forms to fill out, just human needs being met.” In a county where 13 percent of households live below the federal poverty level and another 27 percent live above that line but still struggle to meet basic needs, this type of unfettered access is essential. 

While the nationwide No Kings Day movement focused mainly on the midterm elections this year, Lake Effect Progress NNY still used their event to meet the immediate, tangible needs of their community. Feeley explained that they aim to fill in gaps left by political leadership: “No matter what side of the political divide anyone is on, the fact remains that there are people in our community, and in every community, who do not have enough food. With the rising cost of food, issues with food safety, and cuts to SNAP and other support programs, this is a problem that is going to continue to grow.” 

In rural spaces like the North Country (as residents refer to Northern New York), it is easy to become disenchanted with a reality that feels more difficult every day. Still, No Kings protesters gathered in the Public Square with impassioned signs. Organizers passed out hand-made buttons with LGBTQIA+ pride flags, Palestinian flags, and slogans like “tax the rich” and “antifascist action.” Drivers in the roadway pulled over to ask about voter registration and whether the protesters had enough water and hand warmers for the brisk day. Neighbors were given crucial, yet highly rare, barrier-free access to food and hygiene items. And more than anything, we all reminded each other that our community is our greatest strength.  

Nevertheless, there were far-right counterprotesters and disagreeable passersby, including the usual pickup trucks blasting their engines and exhaust. But if they desire to spend their time circling our rally over and over again and if that is the worst thing that they do that day, then spending our afternoon wasting their time and energy is an act of good trouble. The event registered voters for the upcoming election, fed hungry mouths in the local community, and showed that there is a growing progressive coalition in Northern New York demanding a more just and equitable future every day.

To achieve this future, Feeley states, “We demand barrier-free access to food, shelter, and healthcare. For everyone. We know this will not happen overnight, but we are not willing to wait for the powers-that-be and established systems to step up. We want to plant the seeds for a radical community of care, and see what can grow!”

North Country midterms

In Watertown, and in the North Country more broadly, there are two congressional seats at stake in this year’s midterm elections: New York’s 24th and 21st congressional districts. Notably, the entirety of Watertown previously fell into the 21st congressional district until the 2020 redistricting cycle, which took effect during the 2024 election. 

In the 24th district, the Republican incumbent, Claudia Tenney of New Hartford, New York, is running for reelection. Locally, it is well-known that Tenney refuses to meet with her constituents. Her Democratic challenger, Allissa Ellman of Lockport, New York, is a combat veteran and former Veteran’s Affairs employee who was laid off by Elon Musk during the DOGE cuts. After Ellman lost her federal job, she began trying to organize town halls with Tenney, and after she did not receive a response from her representative for months, she decided to run against her. Still, Tenney is largely favored to win this race. 

In the 21st district, Elise Stefanik, a Republican ally of President Trump, is not running for reelection, so the district will elect a new representative for the first time - for sure - since 2014. The candidates include Democrat Blake Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon, New York, and far-right, Trump-endorsed Anthony Constantino, the owner of Sticker Mule in Amsterdam, New York. Notably, for a district that heavily favored Trump in all three of his presidential elections, in late September the Cook Political Report shifted its forecast for the district from “solid” to “likely” Republican, and a mid-October Siena poll showed Gendebien leading Constantino by 46% to 42%. 

Voting in these elections is critical, but regardless of the outcomes, there is still an urgent necessity to raise our voices in as many ways as possible - voting, rallying, and direct mutual aid. Organizations like Lake Effect Progress NNY answer this call: their grassroots, community-oriented mission generates “parallel systems” that encourage us to take care of one another, thus challenging the narrow perspectives of those currently wielding the levers of power.