People in cities and towns across Greater Cincinnati joined protesters across the country demonstrating against the Trump administration Saturday.
The protests have been promoted by the national No Kings organization working with other national progressive groups like 50501 and Indivisible. The organization claims roughly 3,000 protests took place across the country Saturday, and says individual rallies are put together by local activists.
In a statement released Friday, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson brushed off the protests, calling them "Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions."
The third round of No Kings rallies included events in small towns, big cities and suburbs across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Here's what happened at a few of them.
Cincinnati
Demonstrators in downtown Cincinnati carried signs about the Epstein files, trans rights, and immigration. Sarah Fenske of Mount Washington had a sign warning of economic collapse on one side, and labeling President Trump "Captain Chaos" on the other.
"It's been general chaos from January 20th on," she said. "There's so much going on right now with this administration, they're everywhere, everything, all at once, so I think it's important to call out every bit of it."
Gary Heaton said the pattern of the Trump administration has been to introduce bad policy and then add more and more.
"They just started a war by a president who said that was one of the key things he stood for was America first, isolationism, not getting involved in foreign wars," he said. "He's already broken that for, apparently, not even a very good reason, or can't explain why he's doing it clearly or what it would take to get out."
Katie MacDonald of Bellevue, Kentucky, asked about checks and balances in the government.
"If Congress were doing their job we wouldn't need to be down here," she said.
She pointed to the current war with Iran.
"Congress is refusing to hold public hearings about this and to hold the administration accountable. It's just appalling."
Many of those in downtown Cincinnati's No Kings events were white. That did not go unnoticed by Sylvester McKinney of College Hill. He came because he's concerned about economic issues.
"I think people of color, we're like, 'we told you so." He says the rest of America has now "found out."
"People are losing jobs, aren't being paid, aren't being provided with adequate housing, insurance, education," he said. "We're comfortable. Americans are comfortable, and I think, being comfortable, you don't want to cause problems; don't want to rock the boat."
Marcy Taylor wore a cone-shaped hat, like the kind a princess would wear, to the rally. She said she wanted to express that she was having fun, and keep people from claiming demonstrators were angry or violent.
"We're not afraid that we're going to be violent. We know we're not," she said. "But we get portrayed that way. In Portland it was 'these people are terrorists. These people are paid agitators.' So, it's happened."
Oxford, Ohio
Rallygoers filled Uptown Park in Oxford, which is home to Miami University. The crowd lined High Street with signs decrying Trump, listened to speakers, sang songs, and donated to food pantries and organizations helping immigrants.
Oxford resident Genevieve O'Malley Knight was one of the organizers of the event. She said love of democracy has driven her to help plan all three No Kings rallies here. She said pushing back against Trump's immigration policies and recent military actions is important, but she emphasized the positive energy the event promoted.
"It's also a great way to build community and connect with people in our town," she said. "The hate online is so loud, but the experience in this community is really based in love. Having these in-person events really lets us see that and gives us the energy to keep going."
Butler County resident Karen Albrecht spoke the crowd about her opposition to Trump's immigration policies, especially a contract to jail ICE detainees held by Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones.
"Are we going to sit by while our hardworking neighbors are abducted from the streets by ICE thugs and hauled off to jail or a detention center without due process," she asked. "Or are we going to stand up?"
St. Vincent De Paul - Springfield Executive Director Casey Rollins was among those who addressed the crowd. Springfield has seen waves of national attention as the city's Haitian immigrant communities find themselves caught in political debates. Rollins told the crowd Springfield's experience was a lesson for the entire country as it gears up for a potential revocation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians by the Trump administration.
"We are modeling peaceful coexistence among us, continuing to love our neighbor, protect or stranger and remembering Springfield, Ohio is us," she said. "Our prayers are with everyone here in this county as you navigate these same inhumanities and you amplify the voices of your neighbors."
Florence, Kentucky
Indivisible NKY organized Florence's protest as part of the national No Kings Day rallies. A sizeable crowd gathered in the parking lot of Florence Mall.
Organizers said the goal was to span across Mall Road, which stretches almost two miles and sits between two U.S. highways.
For Katherine LeRoux, a senior citizen from Fort Wright, this was a new experience.
“This is my first protest,” LeRoux said, sitting in her wheelchair. “I’ve been a Republican all my life and just switched about six months ago because I don’t like what Trump’s doing.”
LeRoux said she wanted to see unity from both sides of the political spectrum in the future.
It was also Aubrey Anderson’s first protest. She is 16 years old and was at the event with her mother. She said she was unsatisfied with the beliefs leading the current administration.
“No one should be illegal in this country,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t matter what race, gender, sexuality, or religion you are. You should be allowed to express yourself freely no matter what because that’s what this country was built for.”
Liberty, Indiana
About a dozen people gathered outside the Union County Courthouse in Liberty for a No Kings event there. Trump won about 77% of the 2024 presidential vote in the county.
Trump's war in Iran, his immigration policies, and prices were top of mind for the attendees. Starla Morgan was among those at the event. She said her family farms and she's worried about how they'll continue under current conditions.
"I don't know how they're going to make it with the price of fertilizers and fuel," she said. "A lot of the farms around here are family-owned."
Morgan acknowledged the area is very conservative, but said she's sensed a subtle shift over the past several months.
The small crowd got a steady stream of seemingly friendly honking and waving, as well as the occasional heckler.
"When we were here in October for the last No Kings, there was a lot more negativity. This time there's a lot more support," she said as a driver honked and waved behind her.
Deborah Voles said she was concerned about a very basic issue: food. She thought Trump's policies were raising prices. And, she pointed out, many of the people doing farm labor are the same immigrants Trump wants to deport.
"I'm a dairy farmer, and I grow my own food, and I'm not going to have that problem," she said of rising prices and lack of labor. "But most people buy their food at the store, and it doesn't just grow there."
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