Peekskill was represented in an illuminating way during 2,000 No Kings rallies and protests across America last Saturday, June 14. A 40-foot-by-50-foot projection on the former Peekskill Brewery building was visible from 9-10:30 p.m. The image, conceived and designed by artist Peter Bynum, featured the words, “No Kings Defend Democracy” with a video of a waving American flag.

Bynum has experience with the art of using light to spread messages. When the Russian army invaded Ukraine, he did a projection of the Ukrainian flag on the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, DC. He also projected the message, “War Criminal Work Here” on the Russian embassy in Washington. He said Russian employees tried to drown out the projection with a spotlight. 

“Projections are an outgrowth of my art,” said Bynum, who created the murals that hang on the arches on Water Street. “I think it’s important to take back the flag, take back the idea of patriotism, there’s a new patriotism in the air these days, in defense of democracy and standing up for the constitution and the rule of law.”

About 20 people were on hand when the projection went up, said Bynum, who has extensively researched laws around projections and learned that it’s not considered trespassing to project an image on a building. 

Bynum asked Peekskill resident Gene Panczenko to run the technical aspect of the project. “We weren’t going for a big crowd,” said Bynum. “We knew there were protests around the area in Beacon, Cold Spring, Mt. Kisco, but there weren’t a lot of billboard signs. “It felt like the right thing to do. It feels like our democracy is on the precipice, the constitution is under assault and the rule of law is threatened.”

Crowd organizers said some 2,200 people, including many Peekskill residents, were carrying signs and waving American flags at a rally in Mount. Kisco. Other Peekskill residents were in Beacon, where some 1,500 people were marching and chanting.