An effort by progressive activists aligned with the national “No Kings” protest movement to shift the theme of Palmer’s traditional Colony Day Parade met swift resistance from local residents and was ultimately halted before it could materialize.
The group Mat-Su United for Progress, a local affiliate of the national Indivisible network, posted on social media earlier this week calling on supporters to “Join us for the #NoKingsDay parade in Palmer Saturday June 14th!”
The message was seen by many residents as an attempt to co-opt the historic Colony Days Parade—an annual celebration honoring the 200+ pioneer families who came to Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Valley in 1935 under President Roosevelt’s New Deal resettlement program.
Conservatives in the community quickly responded with calls to the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, demanding that the event not be politicized or renamed by outside activists. The Chamber had not approved any “No Kings” contingent or theme and confirmed that the official parade will proceed as planned under the historic Colony Days banner.
Adding to the confusion, Mat-Su United for Progress initially promoted a sign-making event at Bleeding Heart Brewery, encouraging people to prepare protest signs for the parade. However, the brewery distanced itself from the group, saying that the sign-making event was not authorized.
After facing community backlash, Mat-Su United for Progress walked back its statements, saying the group had been misunderstood and never intended to march in the official parade. But by then, the damage was done. Local organizers and residents made it clear that any effort to shift the day’s focus away from honoring Palmer’s agricultural roots and heritage would be met with firm opposition.
The attempt to takeover the Colony Days Parade is reminiscent of an effort in 2022 by the Palmer Chamber of Commerce to rename it the Braided River Parade, something that was also met with community resistance.
“This isn’t about politics. It’s about community pride,” said one longtime Palmer resident who plans to attend the parade draped in red, white, and blue. “People are tired of these national protest movements trying to hijack our local traditions.”
The attempted disruption comes as cities across the country brace for nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for Saturday. The movement, largely fueled by left-wing opposition, some funded by George Soros and similar leftist billionaires, to President Donald Trump. Protests are expected in Alaska, including gatherings in Anchorage and Juneau, on the same day that others will be celebrating Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the US Army.
In Palmer, residents are making it clear: Colony Days is about honoring the past, not becoming a platform for partisan protest.
The parade will step off Saturday morning with floats, farm-themed decorations, vintage tractors, and children waving American flags, just as it has for decades. And this year, perhaps more than ever, the sense of tradition and unity will be front and center.
More about the radical Indivisible group at these links:
Any person here illegally has NO ROOM TO COMPLAIN!!!! These idiots are exactly the things we need to fight against.. Good job! Send the Nutters on their way!
Trump’s grandfather was an (undocumented) alien from Bavaria; andd when he tried to return to his homeland he was deported back to America.
“Indivisible”…………A funny name for a group that sows division, hate and discontent.
No surprise, really as they and their name are a product of the father of lies.
Good! More of this! More of this, please! Now if only Anchorage had the cajones to stop this kind of tripe.
Jesus is King.
The billionaire nihilists – ie, Soros, Christy Walton, The Clintons, G.Bush Jr. , the Obamas and the alphabet soup community and their brainless minions -( those marching in the “ no kings” ) can eat rocks.
Colony days is for Alaskans , celebrating being Alaskan and living in a community- whether Republican, Democratic or Independent.
Leave the BS at home, because the summers are way too short up here. Go to Colony Days and have a nice time with your family, friends or just to hang out.
Amen! #nonokings
Saturday June 14th is also Flag Day. My flag will be proudly displayed and I guarantee it will not be defiled by the shïtbirds.
These confused Democrats and their TDS is not going well at all. If the Democrats are so concerned about the illegals, why don’t they adopt them and let them move into their homes?
We have a nation of severely mentally disabled people. They are the brainwashed Democrats of America.
Leftists are very good at spending your money, time, and space. Never their own.
.
That is why the leftists want illegal aliens all over the place, except for where they live. It is also the same reason why vagrants will never get to camp within two miles of LaFrance’s neighborhood. Helping the less fortunate out means they spend your money, but they want the credit.
Leftists are dishonest to their core.
Disagreeing with President Trump is legal.
Opposing him is treason.
Opposing him in writing is sedition.
Opposing him publically is insurrection.
Sarcasm about the last 3, but you’d be not-so-surprised how many “conservatives” just nodded.
Jimmy, it would be much more realistic and less sarcastic if we could just get back to the good old days when those statements were in reference to President Obama.
Yup. “FREEDOM!” they cry, provided that you agree with them. Just like religion – freedom, provided that it’s the one to which they adhere ‘Merica, baby!
You are projecting again WTD, so try this on for size:
Refuse to bake a cake, get harassed by government and dragged into court FOR YEARS.
Use the wrong pronoun get accused of violence and get canceled.
Criticize the school board, because you don’t want x-rated literature in your child’s classroom, the FBI investigates you for terrorism.
Sounds like the tolerant and inclusive bunch can’t handle being tolerant and inclusive.
On a side note these individuals claim to speak for “terrorized INNOCENT people” yet they clearly have nothing to say about the individuals mentioned above. Instead they defend gang bangers, drug dealers and rapists! Their goal is not freedom but anarchy and chaos to cause the destruction of this country.
I have seen the police state (oh sorry workers paradise) and it has no place here.
I did not nod.
And, I am a strong conservative.
.
Opposing the President of the United States because you disagree with his administration. Not a problem. Opposing the President of the United States because you demand your candidate, and your party is the only one that should rightfully hold that office is treason.
.
Writing a comment that opposes the President’s policies or actions. Not a problem. Slandering and libeling the man, problem. Conservatives support the 1st Amendment, and they also realize it exists to protect the speech they do not like.
.
Publicly opposing the President through peaceful protest is perfectly OK. Riots are not. Riots supported by elected officials at the Mayoral and Governor level are an insurrection. Attacking Federal Officers who are lawfully carrying out their duty is an insurrection. especially when those attacks are financed by outside forces. Foreign nationals waving foreign flags and demanding US land be removed from the US is insurrection.
.
Your experiment says a lot more about you, your biases and prejudices, and how you would react if the sides of the political aisle were swapped in this situation than it does about conservatives.
“you’d be not-so-surprised how many “conservatives” just nodded.“
N, Jimmy. YOU would be surprised that not a single conservative nodded. We conservatives are not like liberals. We’re not hypocrites.
You might want to preach to those who actually need an education about the freedoms of our country, like those who claim “peaceful protests” include vandalizing, looting, and assaulting law enforcement.
It sounds like you want to change the subject of this report of leftist fools trying to hijack a time honored recognition of the brave hard working folks dedicated to make Alaska a great life for their family and make it all about someone who does not even live in Alaska or is even aware of this honorable family friendly event.
If so dont forget to mention the angry parent who complained about his daughter being raped by a boy using the same restroom and got arrested cuffed and drug out of a school board meeting because of a mentally deranged leader who insisted boys pretending to be girls must be allowed to use any bathroom that pleases their personal sexual desires or face loss of school funding.
That alone was enough to send Joe out to pasture and be replaced with “common sense”.
My grand children will never see the inside of a “public” school restroom because of the school boards willful acceptance of that sick and deranged line of thinking regardless of cost to me.
Ashley Biden would strongly agree with me according to her diary she left behind at a mental health treatment facility. Apparently she didnt like showering with an adult male at 13 either.
Where was Dr. Jill?
Opposing the president is neither treason, sedition, nor insurrection. It’s caalled freedom of speech.
Congratulations Palmer & MatSu for ousting the communist and anti-USA front organizations!
No Kings is a well funded socialist movement that is the only agenda that will actually result in “kings.” Only the ignorant or willfully deceptive put those types of labels on someone who #1- puts America 1st and #2- can’t get a fraction of what he wants done because the only situation in which “checks & balances” actually works in today’s America is when it has to do with DJT trying to put Americans 1st!
To the short sighted individuals that believe conservatives have any issues with people protesting, you are wrong. The issue, at least for most of us is that these efforts are NOT, in fact, organic. They are well funded by OUTSIDE socialist billionaires and our “problem” is with Soros & the like leveraging the mass numbers of attention seeking useful idiots that are completely mercenary for social media clicks to incentivize division in our communities. By the way, to the crazy progressives that need to hear this, neither DJT NOR conservatives have issues with migrants. He is married to one and my grandparents were from Mexico. It’s about protecting our nation with laws & borders- like EVERY OTHER NATION, since that’s actually what defines one. Try moving to Mexico and demanding that they learn English, pay for your healthcare, food, housing, and education, give you a debit card, and burn down their cities while waving the American flag. See what happens.
If they are allowed to march and be present they will highjack it anyway. It’s what these violent pinkos do. So good job Palmer for giving these violent commies a voice. These no kings rioters are currently starting fires, looting and commiting violence all over the nation. But hey, let’s let them join the family fun in Palmer this weekend. That will be fun. Only ignorant fools would allow these people to demonstrate during such an event. Have fun Palmer.
This is exactly what every US city should be doing to protect their way of life and heritage.
I wish we would do it here in Anchorage.
The organization Matsu United for Progress have what looks like a hastily designed website that does not allow any viewing without a log in. No ‘about us’ or ‘who we are’. The Indivisible web page indicates they formed after the presidential election. They have lots of info and three branches for different purposes including an Indivisible Action PAC that shows on the Open Secrets website huge tens of thousands donated by a crazy number of unemployed people. The ‘About Us’ page shows they are pretty well organized. Not sure if we can post links but I am trying anyway…
‘https://indivisible.org/about
This is easy- just arrest those waving the Mexican flag. They are obviously the ones here illegally. If you love your country so much we will help you go back to it!
It’s legal to wave ANY flag in the US. Mexican, Canadian, Israeli, Pride or whatever. People cannot be arrested for displaying (or waving) the Mexcan flag. Lots of eating establishments would be closed if that were the case.
Just let them come and utilize it as a target rich environment.
I’m a conservative, Jesus–loving Alaskan who supports democracy and the Constitution. I’ll be there with a sign and a smile. The most American thing we can do is to peacefully voice our concerns when our system of government goes awry. If you disagree, the most unAmerican thing you can do is throw a tantrum (or anything else, for that matter). Make your own signs; wear your t-shirts and hats. Don’t try to stop others from expressing their opinions and don’t believe the lie that just because someone doesn’t agree with you, they are your enemy.
Just remember, we are NOT a Democracy even though we have been “trained” to think that. I will give you $10,000 if you can find the word Democracy in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.
A constitutional republic is a form of democracy. Sick of the semantic hair-splitting over something the far right seems to think is a mic-drop moment. What’s more important is that we’re not an authoritarian state. Justice, freedom, and the rule of law are for EVERYONE.
Boycott any business that supports Truth Brigade, do you really want professional protesters in our cities that burning like LA.