Hundreds line Ardmore’s Lancaster Avenue to protest Trump administration
Demonstrators criticized cuts to the federal workforce, deportations and rising costs.
Hundreds of protesters stretched up and down Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore on Saturday morning, donning American flags, protest signs, and Eagles gear. The demonstrators were gathered for “No Kings,” a collection of protests taking place across the country in response to President Donald Trump’s policies and to coincide with his military parade in Washington.
Passing cars honked in support and the crowd broke out into renditions of “God Bless America” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Protesters criticized the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, federal spending, healthcare and LGBTQ rights.
Suzanne Kane, 65, of Narberth, said as a senior citizen she’s worried about the stock market and rising prices.
“I just can’t think of a single thing that’s improved since Trump’s been elected,” Kane said.
Tom Kelleher, 47, of Wayne, waved an upside-down American flag that belonged to his brother, a U.S. military veteran who served in Iraq.
Kelleher comes from a family of veterans and said he was proudly holding the flag upside down “because I think our country’s in distress.”
Lower Merion is a deep blue pocket in Democratic-leaning Montgomery County, where former Vice President Kamala Harris garnered 61% of the vote in 2024.
Chris Ramsey, 67, of Bryn Mawr, called himself a “healthcare voter.” He came out to protest as a member of the bleeding disorders community, a group that he said will be at an extremely high risk if it loses access to healthcare through Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Ramsey cited specific concerns about the Center for Disease Control’s Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics, which was hit by sweeping layoffs this spring.
Alice Dustin, 83, of Ardmore, said she was amazed by the number of people that had shown up to protest. She said she’s “absolutely aghast” at the funds being spent on the military parade in Washington and criticized the federal government for “using government money and taking it away from people who need it.”
Dressed in a founding father-style costume she had from eighth grade, Kaia Bjorhus, 15, said she felt like her outfit showed that the protest was “more than a sad thing.”
“We can overcome [this] if we’re positive about it,” she said.
As protesters dispersed around 11 a.m., some planned to head to Norristown, where local progressive groups were planning a countywide protest with speakers including U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Mary Gay Scanlon. In Philadelphia, thousands gathered in LOVE Park, while others gathered around the region and the country.