By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

When Nathan Taylortaft saw the decisions, policies and implementation the Trump Administration began making this year, he felt compelled to act.

Immigration policy, deportations and other domestic law enforcement decisions were certainly aspects that got Taylortaft’s attention. But it was a set of issues that hasn’t gotten as much mention in 2025 that he thought of first.

“Climate change,” Taylortaft said. “Pulling out the Paris Accords. That’s dangerous and very disturbing.”

Taylortaft said how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been ordered to skip due process and to detain people and break up families with zero stated charges is also upsetting, Taylortaft said, leading the high school junior to co-found a local organization called East Valley Unite.

Along with two other organizers, Taylortaft said, one of the first missions for East Valley Unite was to push out information about Chandler’s local version of the Oct. 18 “No Kings” protests.

“We’re an all-volunteer group of East Valley residents who are really passionate about democracy,” Taylortaft said. “All that we do an organization, we do with our own personal resources. We just want to help build community.”

Taylortaft said it was his idea to assemble hundreds of the Oct. 18 protesters on the east lawn of Dr. A.J. Chandler park at the end of the downtown event for group photos. “No Kings” and “... in the USA” were what the protesters spelled for aerial photos.

The downtown Chandler protest mostly consisted of sign-carrying protesters lining Arizona Avenue from Chicago Street to Chandler Boulevard.

East Valley Unite’s and Indivisible AZ’s estimates of the Chandler crowd size differ from that of the Chandler Police Department, though both estimates made the Oct. 18 event seem much larger than the similar No Kings protest in June.

Chandler Gilbert Indivisible stated there were at least 4,500 people at the protest, using “representative sample sections,” while a Chandler Police spokesperson stated their count is between 1,200 and 1,500 protesters on-site between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Police added that all participants were peaceful; there were no arrests.

Signs covered a number of opposition messages to Trump and to Congress, ranging from “Release the Epstein files” to opposition to ICE conduct to swearing in Rep. Adelita Grijalva.

Many wore resistance-slogan T-shirts; some identified as military veterans opposed to Trump policies.

Chandler Gilbert Indivisible co-leader A.J. Kurdoglu stated in a news release that local residents, community leaders and volunteers were calling for “fair elections, accountable leadership and the protection of fundamental rights.”

“It was amazing to see thousands of Chandler Gilbert residents getting together to say no to authoritarianism, no to strongman ideology and no to brazen corruption,” Kurdoglu stated. “In a peaceful manner, Chandler and Gilbert residents demonstrated that they are here to protect their democracy and their way of life.”

Indivisible stated the No Kings peaceful protests were organized by a coalition of organizations that include the ACLU, the American Federation of Teachers, Common Defense, 50501, Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible, the League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Public Citizen and the Service Employees International Union.

Kurdoglu thanked Chandler City Council member Jane Poston and U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton for being at the protest.

Taylortaft said Stanton has been among the most vocal elected officials of Valley “No Kings” and similar resistance to Trump.

Taylortaft said not only will there be more No Kings-type events in the months ahead, there are also plans to encourage economic disruptions in the form of boycotts.

“Black Friday and ‘Cyber Monday’ are areas where we’re talking about mass mobilization,” Taylortaft said. “We’re motivated to get people registered to vote, to vote in better representation in 2026, and to find neighbors who want to build community, to where we can do something really disruptive.”

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

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INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.