‘No Kings’ Rally Draws Hundreds to Owego

[By Wendy Post]

On March 28, “No Kings” protests were held throughout the country, with one in Owego. Neighboring cities like Binghamton also saw protesters gather. 

Organized by Indivisible Tioga and the Tioga County Democratic Committee, those frustrated with the Trump administration arrived with signs and to gather with others who share their thoughts.

Reasons cited for the cause include issues surrounding elections and voting, ICE raids and immigration, cuts to health care and education, the lifting of environmental protections, and increased inflation.

The organizers of the event say the rally’s purpose is to fight for democracy and oppose tyranny.

Locally, many were prompted to attend the rally following the news that Roger Huang, also known as Kong Xiong Wang, had been deported back to China last week, with hopes of returning.

The former Kam Fung Restaurant owner was en route to a scheduled appointment on June 16, 2025 regarding his green card application process, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained him upon his arrival. He was detained at a facility in Batavia, New York, until last week; at that time, confidential sources say he was safely returned home to China.

Because the information arrived from a confidential source, limited information was available. In addition, we were unable to locate Roger in the ICE Detainee Locator, managed through ICE, leaving unanswered questions.

But this “close to home” scenario was merely one of the issues protesters are expressing anger about. 

In a Letter to the Editor this week, written by Ed Nizalowski, he goes into more depth about the purpose behind the rallies and speaks to the core of the local efforts.

This was the third “No Kings” protest nationally, with previous ones held in June 2025 and October 2025.