John Paradis, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and VoteVets member, opened Saturday’s Western Mass “No Kings” Day of Defiance Rally Saturday reminding folks that the old Springfield Armory, with its roots in the American Revolution,

Thousands of people gathered in Springfield, MO on Saturday, June 14 for the nationwide “No Kings” protests and the annual Ozarks Pridefest, resulting in a busy day for local

No Kings organizer Joshua Leingang criticized a recent visit to Springfield by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Saturday was a day of defiance throughout the nation, as about 2,000 ‘No Kings Day’ rallies took place from New England to the west coast — including here in western Mass., where crowds gathered to protest the state of the government.

Organizers are calling for “accountability, democratic integrity, and a renewed commitment to constitutional values,” they said in a statement Wednesday.

Residents in Springfield, Northampton, Pittsfield, Westfield and other communities across western Massachusetts protested on 'No Kings Day.'

In Delaware County, a rally will be held at the County Courthouse in Media from noon to 1 p.m. A group intends to rally at Route 320 and Baltimore Pike from 1 to 2 p.m. in Springfield, and a third group has received a permit to protest in Haverford Township at Eagle Road and Sunnyhill Lane.

Showers spread across Massachusetts Saturday morning, meaning spectators and participants in the Boston Pride parade or any of the “No Kings” protests should be prepared for wet conditions.