MONROE — The No Kings 2.0 rally held on Saturday, Oc. 18 in downtown Monroe drew an estimated crowd of 550 people, joining a nationwide day of action that mobilized more than 8.3 million participants across the country.

Locally, the Monroe rally attendees donated 160 pounds of food to Green Cares Food Pantry in Monticello.

The event was organized by Cathie Kwasneski, Pat Skogen, Sam Schumacher, Garrett Wall, Joshua Mittness, and Maxwell Brooks. The rally featured a lineup of speakers including Joshua Mittness, Rev. Susan Andersen, Rev. Stacey Cavanaugh, County board rep. Todd Larson, and radio host John “Sly” Sylvester, with 2022 State Senate nominee Pat Skogen serving as emcee.

The event’s goal was to channel the spirit of civic engagement that the No Kings movement has come to represent across Wisconsin. Statewide, an estimated 96,000 people took part in No Kings events, “reflecting the growing momentum of grassroots organizing in communities large and small,” Brooks said.