Photos by Mark Molesworth

WESTPORT – At least 2,000 people are estimated to have gathered in downtown Westport Saturday morning to take part in the “No Kings” protest, one of at least 33 in Connecticut and more than 1,800 such protests in the U.S. to protest President Donald J. Trump and his policies.

Protesters began to assemble around 11 a.m. on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge over the Saugatuck River. Police had warned to expect at least 1,000 people; some reports said that the crowd had quickly swelled to over 2,000.

Protesters brought plenty of flags and signs to the event, including some that said “Trump Hates America,” and “No Kings in the U.S.A. since 1776”, and yelled “This is what democracy looks like!” Motorists in passing cars honked in solidarity and waved to the crowd. The crowd gathered wasn’t all anti-Trump. At one point, a boat approached the bridge flying pro-Trump and “MAGA” flags.

As expected, Westport Police maintained a visible presence to manage traffic and crowd control and to keep the protesters safe. In addition to marked police cars and officers, spectators reported seeing multiple drones in the air, while K-9 units and plainclothes officers circulated in the crowd. A militarized SWAT team was spotted watching over the crowd from a parking garage downtown. When approached, one officer said they were there as a “precautionary measure.”

The protest coincided with the opening of the annual Yankee Doodle Fair, which began Friday evening, and was slated to open today at 1:00 p.m. Westport Police had advised the public that there will be heavy traffic congestion with possible road closures in the downtown corridor.