Indian American author and television host Padma Lakshmi on Saturday expressed support for the nationwide “No Kings” protests and joined thousands of protesters protesting US President Donald Trump’s radical immigration policies and war in Iran.Lakshmi is best known for hosting the long-running cooking competition show “Top Chef”. “I have always believed in the American dream that everyone can have a place here and contribute to our country, but seeing ICE deployed in our cities and terrorizing our communities, including murdering many civilians, tells me that we have crushed that dream and forgotten who we are,” he said at a news conference in New York.He said silence is not an option: “We will not be silent. We will stand up for each other and for an America that is not subject to the whims of one man or one individual. We are not a state, but a land where consensus or majority rule. Today we reject fear.”The protests were organized as part of the “No Kings” movement and were held in several US states, with over 3,000 events planned and expected to reach up to nine million people. Protesters protest the MAGA movement’s immigration policies, military actions, and expansion of presidential power.
‘Put the crown down, Joker’
In Washington, hundreds of marchers headed to the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall, chanting “No Kings” and carrying signs that read “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Protesters rang bells, beat drums and marched through the streets in a peaceful demonstration of dissent.A large rally in St. Paul, Minnesota drew thousands of people and featured high-profile speakers and performers. Bruce Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis”, which was written in response to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretty, who were shot and killed by ICE agents in recent months. It was also a tribute to those who protested over the winter.Longtime Trump critic and New York Attorney General Letitia James also spoke at the New York briefing. He said: “The law matters in this country and we have challenged illegal federal actions in court. And we Democratic attorneys general have stood up against people who think they can use fear and division to control our communities. But we are winning. And I think that’s why I’m a target. And we will continue to fight because no one is above the law.”