On Oct. 18, 2025, there were over 2,500 “No Kings” rallies around the USA – with a surprising 19 locations in the deep-red state of Oklahoma, including in the city of Norman.

Norman is one of several blue blips in a red sea. These blips mostly coalesce around college towns, and Norman is no exception, as it hosts the University of Oklahoma’s flagship campus, as well as being within commuting distance of the state capital, Oklahoma City. With a population of about 130,000, the center is suburban while its outskirts are more rural. Politically, Norman is similar to other blue islands in red states—one might say, Norman is to Oklahoma what Missoula is to Montana or Austin is to Texas.

Still, this is Oklahoma; and calling Norman “liberal” may seem a stretch, especially in California terms. As a descriptor for Norman, “liberal” refers not only, population-wise, to the usual university liberals, but to a higher presence of moderate Republicans, and a lower presence of the full-on MAGA fans, who often dominate rural areas.

At first glance, the Norman No Kings rally didn’t look very different from No Kings rallies in California, and the Norman rally was surprisingly well-attended, with estimates of 1500-2000 attendees; a beautiful day helped. Rather than marching, attendees of this No Kings gathering were seated themselves in a sunny amphitheater circling a stage, while a few sun-escapees hunkered in the shade of nearby trees. The stage format allowed for a set-up sound system, scheduled speakers, inflatable costumes, and even a sing-along. Though there were other photographers, the only credentialed press were some student reporters from OU.

A young man wearing a T-shirt that said “Unpaid Protester” spoke commandingly at the microphone, calling on voters to push politicians to address things they care about — healthcare, education. He talked about spreading the message and led the crowd in chants of “When we vote, we win!” In Oklahoma, a Democratic “win” means narrowing a loss. But Democrats have been making notable gains, to which Mr. Lucas proudly rattled off what he considered to be some encouraging statistics. “Donations are up. We’ve got more activists, more volunteers — and more candidates than we’ve had for statewide office since 2014. This year there will be a fraction of uncontested races than there have been in decades. This is a massive turnaround for our state party.”

The speakers took aim at the real enemy: apathy. Rather than focusing on MAGA, or Trump specifically; instead, their message was more along the lines of: “We all want the same things, but we need everyone to vote to put the right people in place to make them happen.” No-Kings attendees had their individual concerns, but the unifying issue was Trump’s increasingly “kinglike” behaviors. Not all were Democrats or liberals, either. This was about what they saw as happening to the country, rather than about specific policies.

The Unpaid Protester turned out to be a representative from the Oklahoma Democratic Party, and was happy to talk. “You know how deeply conservative Oklahoma is,” said Matthew Lucas. “All 77 counties went for Trump — but now we’ve got 19 communities and cities across Oklahoma that are gathering for No Kings today.”

Made clear in every discussion is not to underestimate this area’s deep Republican roots, despite the turnout and positive atmosphere today. Oklahoma “blues” must tread lightly with the many “red” voters who could never bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Rather than flipping red voters, the Oklahoma Democrats’ objective is to flip non-voters to become active voters.

Zach Flash, an organizer wearing a “Teamster Union” cap, offered some explanation for the ralliers’ motives. “A lot of us are out here because of our families. I’m a fourth generation Oklahoman, a third generation Union worker, second generation teamster.” This particular concern echoed Californians’ frequently voiced dissatisfaction regarding, the push of money to the billionaire class. “The billionaires make their money off of us – off of our labor.” Interestingly, Mr. Flash felt that not being a Democrat allowed him to convey the No Kings message more easily. “I’m more able to reach people because I am not a Democrat. I am just a working- class guy.”

A tall gentleman appeared like the Oklahoma stereotype, with rugged clothing and an extra-long beard. However, he’d spent some time in ultra-liberal Berkeley and, therefore, expressed an understanding of the stereotypical Californian liberal perspective. He said he isn’t really a No-Kingser. “I’m not really aligned with them, but I agree with what they’re doing. ” His explanation for why Oklahomans accept Trump, often against their conservative values and wholesome upbringing, was straightforward but unforgiving. “There’s always going to be that extreme dumbness that just don’t have a clue. They just don’t realize what they’re doing until it’s too late.” This sounded more typical of what you’d hear in California. He cautioned that while this No Kings rally was well-attended, Turning Point had been in the same venue a few months prior (“corrupting our youth”), with five times the crowd.

A nearby woman remained positive, saying, “40% of the people in Norman are now democratic. There would not have been protests this size four years ago.” She felt that immigration enforcement is a grave concern to Oklahomans. “I think that the immigration policies, that deportation, the rounding up of people, I think terrifies a lot of people…. depriving people of their rights.” But she felt the economy is what would make more Oklahomans take notice. “I’m hopeful because the economy is forefronting people’s minds, when it starts to affect them personally, ” Still, Oklahoma is an uphill battle for Democrats. “The best they can do is to persuade Trump supporters to stay home.” 

A man standing alone wearing a “Veterans Against Trump” T-shirt asked not to be recorded or photographed and to remain anonymous because he works for the federal government. His top concern was the erosion of veteran’s benefits. “DOGE took away a lot. I hate to say entitlement, but we veterans ARE entitled.” His concern about veteran’s benefits had been made very real recently. Hesitating, he added, “I lost a friend, and others, to suicide after they cut mental health services.” The veteran had never voted for Trump, nor had his family; however, he’s surrounded by Trumpers who are “totally dug in,” especially at work. “A friend’s wife is from Peru, and she was detained by ICE, and he’s still for Trump. And he complains about marital problems?” It seemed irrational to him, but all he could do was shrug. “Democrats aren’t making much difference. Some friends say ‘whoa’ about some things — but still vote for Trump.”

Overall the No Kings rally in Norman was very much like those in California in the sense that the unifying issue of anti-autocracy and other major concerns were the same, with perhaps with a greater concern about education. Arguably the biggest difference at the Norman No Kings rally was the absence of criticism for MAGA. Californians can sometimes fall into viewing MAGA supporters as clueless rednecks, an unfortunate stereotype if you don’t know differently. Oklahomans know MAGA people in more contexts than just politics. Family values and traditions run strong here; few will forsake family or friends for politics, and Oklahomans have friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers or neighbors who are Trump supporters.

Perhaps this explains the notable absence of anti-MAGA sentiment in the signs and comments at the No Kings rally, as one would be more likely to find in California—even anti-Trump signs were a comparative rarity. Attending Oklahomans mostly aimed their cries at autocracy and non-voters, rather than MAGA. To these blue-ish Oklahomans, the  answer is not arguing with your MAGA in-laws; instead, it is: more voters.

Around 3 p.m., people started filtering out carrying their signs, smiling, in good cheer on a beautiful day, happy in their unity.