About 100 people gathered on the steps of Seattle's federal courthouse Sunday afternoon to Stand Up to Trump" and tell the president to keep the National Guard out of the city.

The president has yet to formally threaten to deploy troops to Seattle, but Ray Mitchell, spokesperson for Seattle Tacoma Opposing President Trump, or STOP Trump, said this protest was a show of force rather than a reaction.

Activists want "to show how much the people of Seattle and Tacoma and the surrounding areas do not want the National Guard deployed, to tell the federal government not to do it, and to tell the state government how much the people who live here want them to fight back if that happens," Mitchell said.

Sending federalized National Guard troops into Democrat-led cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C. has been one of the hallmarks of the second Trump administration.

Local authorities have pushed back on Trump's assertions that more liberal cities are lawless hellholes run by "radical left lunatics," justifying the need for troops on the streets. In Portland, for example, violent crime dropped 51% compared with the same time period in the previous year, at the time the president ordered federalized troops to the city, according to the mayor's office.

On Sunday in Seattle, a coalition of organizations including the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America, Seattle Against War and the South Sound Climate Alliance hosted the rally under light rain at 700 Stewart St., making it known they don't want a repeat of what has happened in Oregon.

Anne Frantilla, of Seattle, said it’s important to keep showing up even if there’s no imminent threat.

“If everyone is going to stay at home, no one's gonna know how many people don't want the National Guard here,” Frantilla said, carrying a sign with a similar message.

“Say it once! Say it twice! We will not put up with ICE!” the protesters chanted.

Democratic leaders in the Pacific Northwest have been on edge since Trump deployed National Guard members to Portland, a move that has been tied up in court battles since September. Seattle's outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell told Trump to stay out. Police Chief Shon Barnes has said Seattle officers will not aid the National Guard or Immigration and Customs Enforcement in anti-immigrant policies. At a recent news conference, Trump referred to Seattle's mayor-elect, Katie Wilson, as a “very, very liberal-slash-communist mayor," and expressed concerns about whether the city will be able to host World Cup games "safely."

STOP Trump is a new coalition, said Rae Lee, 36, chair of Seattle Against War.

“We believe it's really important that we show that there is going to be a coordinated and rapid community response if the current administration brings down federal forces or increased sort of militarization against the citizens,” Lee said. “And we are building these relationships with other organizations.”

Dan Howes, a U.S. Navy veteran, spoke on behalf of Seattle Against War.

“I had to swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution from enemies, both foreign and domestic,” Howes told the crowd. “Now, what does it mean to defend the Constitution? Does that mean we're protecting some old piece of paper in the National Archives? No. It means defending my neighbor's rights.

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