Key Points:

• Thousands protested Trump’s presidency at the Arizona Capitol

• Rally featured lawmakers, drag shows, activist speeches, chants

• Demonstration remained peaceful despite large turnout

Thousands endured the heat to protest President Donald Trump and his administration during the “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance” rally on June 14 at the State Capitol.

The protestors packed Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, lining the surrounding streets and the House and Senate lawns, holding anti-Trump signs, waving flags and drawing support from drivers who honked their horns and waved American flags as they passed by in their vehicles.

The Phoenix rally was one of more than 40 across the state and about 2,000 nationally. The protests were held on the same day that Trump celebrated his 79th birthday, and the U.S. Army was scheduled to commemorate its 250th anniversary with a military parade in Washington, D.C.

Organizers for the Phoenix event were expecting around 10,000 people but had to add a stage and make other adjustments to accommodate a crowd estimated at twice the size, said Erica Connell, who serves as a state liaison for 50501 Arizona, which helped organize the protest.

Speeches from activists and local lawmakers interspersed with entertainment from drag performers rang out in the crowd, which responded in quick cheers, chants and rallying cries against immigration enforcement, deportations and the president. There were almost two dozen tents featuring activist organizations that promoted their services and encouraged people to volunteer, along with bounce houses for children.

The event speakers included former state Senator and current Phoenix City Council member Anna Hernandez, as well as former lawmaker Raquel Terán, who co-hosted the event. Rep. Sarah Liguori, D-Phoenix, also appeared on stage at the rally.

The speeches decried the federal government’s deportation efforts, emphasized the need for fair elections and voting rights, and encouraged the crowd to support immigrants, those who are LGBTQ and other marginalized communities.

“It’s a real surreal thing to be an elected official in this moment,” Hernandez said during the rally.

Saturday’s rally followed a wave of demonstrations across the country against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading to tense moments between protesters and law enforcement in those cities.

Those protests prompted Gov. Katie Hobbs and Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Jeffrey Glover to issue statements the day prior to the event encouraging protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights without resorting to violence or destroying property.

However, the event at the Capitol mainly remained peaceful, with no visible law enforcement presence among the crowd, although some people needed medical attention after suffering from heat related symptoms.

“No National Guard, no Marines, no riots, no nothing,” Connell said.