Observations From a "No Kings" Protest

I wasn't planning to go, but some friends said they were going. So we made signs and joined in. As I've told everyone, the best thing about this sign is that I can use it again when the Democrats are back in power. Protectionism, sadly, is a bipartisan indulgence.

But here are a few random observations from the protest:

1. Looking for the most clever signs is one of the most fun things to do at things like this, I suspect. It's the first one I've attended.
2. Everyone's interest is special, apparently.
3. Many signs said that if there's $40 million for a military parade, there's money for Medicaid. They're probably playing on the "parade/Medicaid" rhyme, but unfortunately, $40 million isn't even a rounding error in the Medicaid budget--and that doesn't get us into tens of trillions of dollars in unfunded Social Security and Medicare liabilities.
4. I wanted to try to start a "tariffs suck" chant, but I decided against it because I wasn't sure there was a big enough constituency for it.
5. It turns out the University of Michigan's Justin Wolfers made a similar sign for the Ann Arbor rally. If even economists are joining in, then things must be serious...