On October 18, roughly 6,000 people marched through downtown Eau Claire for No Kings 2.0 — nearly doubling the 3,200 who came out for the first march just four months earlier. In Chippewa Falls, 280 marched simultaneously, up from 140.

The growth was staggering, and the nation was watching. Three days before the march, NBC News published a feature — “The Cavalry Is Coming: Indivisible Predicts Massive No Kings Turnout” — with CVI’s mobilization at the center of the story. The Contrarian used three CVI-produced 90-second clips in its national live broadcast. Civic Media, WQOW, WEAU, and the UW-Eau Claire Spectator all covered the day.

Two cities mobilized at once, each time larger. The Chippewa Valley wasn’t just participating in a national movement — it was leading it.