On October 18, members from the Canadian border to the tip of Florida joined millions of fellow Americans to demand that the federal government put families before billionaires and stop the deadly cuts to healthcare in the nationwide No Kings protests.

In New York City, Connie McKinnon, an 82-year-old retired 1199 EEG technician who previously worked at Mount Sinai on the Upper East Side, said she was protesting with her union to demand fairness and justice for all Americans. She recalled being present when Nelson Mandela drove past the hospital and said that history and solidarity motivated her to stand with fellow members.

Kia Cherry, a neuro technician at NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan, said she joined the protest after waking up with a heavy heart. “I came out here to fight for what should be our birthright—for healthcare, education, and even food,” she said. “It’s a sad day, but I know it’s important to fight with my Union.”

Maura Lopez, a newly unionized home care member with the White Glove agency, said she came out in solidarity with the Latinx community. “No podemos permitir que nos quiten el trabajo,” she said. “We cannot allow them to take our jobs away.”