We Protect Us: Remarks from Williamsburg’s No Kings Rally
On March 28, neighbors from across Williamsburg, New Kent, West Point, and the surrounding region came together for the No Kings Day of Action—hosted by Williamsburg JCC Indivisible and part of a nationwide movement to reject authoritarianism and stand up for our communities.
At a time when immigrant families are living in fear and our government is using that fear as a tool of control, people showed up. Not just to protest—but to stand together, to be seen, and to remind each other that we are not alone.
Jonathan, co-founder of Hagamos Vaca, was honored to speak at the No Kings rally in Williamsburg, Virginia. A former ESL teacher who has worked closely with immigrant students and families, his remarks reflect both the urgency of this moment and the deeper truth that guides our work: We protect us.
Below are his full remarks.
My name is Jonathan.
I’m from right here in Virginia—I grew up just down the road in Norfolk.
And today, I’m standing here in Williamsburg, with neighbors from New Kent, from West Point, from across this region—because what’s happening right now is not abstract.
It’s here.
Before any of this, I was an ESL teacher.
I spent years in classrooms with immigrant students and their families — getting to know them, working with them, watching them build lives here.
These aren’t statistics to me.
These are kids I’ve taught.
Parents I’ve sat across from.
Families I know.
And right now—those same families are living in fear.
Afraid to go to work.
Afraid to take their kids to school.
Afraid that one moment—one knock on the door—could tear their family apart.
ICE raids are not a talking point.
They are not a headline.
They are happening.
And they are ripping through communities right here—every single day.
And this isn’t happening in isolation.
We are watching this administration overreach on every front—ignoring courts, escalating conflict and war, spending our tax dollars to expand detention, surveillance, and control—while cutting the very services families rely on to survive.
That is not safety.
This is about power.
This is about control.
This is about using fear to govern.
But this is Virginia.
A place with a long memory.
A place with a history of standing up to tyrants.
Our state flag says it plainly: Sic Semper Tyrannis.
Thus always to tyrants.
That’s not just a motto.
That’s a warning.
We do not bow.
We do not submit.
And we do not let anyone rule over us through fear.
Because in this country—in our communities—we protect us.
And I’ve seen what that looks like.
It looks like neighbors stepping up when families are too afraid to leave their homes.
It looks like people pooling money to keep someone housed when everything falls apart.
It looks like showing up—quietly, consistently—when it matters most.
That’s what we’ve been doing through Hagamos Vaca—a small effort I started with my best friend, who many of you know as one of the co-founders of Indivisible—started nine years ago with a Google Doc called The Indivisible Guide.
We don’t think of Hagamos Vaca as charity.
We think of it as a commitment:
We take care of each other when no one else will.
When a kid needs glasses, we take them to the eye doctor and get them glasses.
When a new family in town needs to find a place to live, we help them find one.
We buy groceries.
We find bicycles.
We provide internet.
And we help immigrant kids see that they belong here by seeing a future here after high school.
What I’ve learned over the last couple of years is that there is no more important work than this work.
They want people isolated.
They want people afraid.
They want people to believe they are alone.
But look around you.
You are not alone.
We are not alone.
And when we stand together like this—fear loses.
That’s how change happens.
That’s how repression ends.
So if you’re here because you think they’ve gone too far—
You’re right.
And if you’re wondering what you can do next—start local.
Because the work doesn’t end when you leave this protest.
Get involved with groups like Williamsburg JCC Indivisible—and I want to thank Heather and everyone who helped organize today.
This is what community looks like.
Take care of the people around you.
Get connected.
If you want to plug in with what we’re doing—making sure our immigrant neighbors feel supported when they need it most—I’ll be around. I’ll leave a few cards up here.
You can find Hagamos Vaca at hagamosvaca.org—or just come talk to me after.
Because this only works if we keep showing up for each other.
Virginia has always known what to do with tyrants.
And looking around here today—we still do.
Sin coronas.
Sin tronos.
Sin reyes.
No crowns.
No thrones.
No kings. Ever.
Thank you.
