LAFAYETTE, IN — Organizers of an upcoming “No Kings” march are planning for a large crowd, placing a formal request for some street closures in the downtown Lafayette area.
In a special event request form submitted to the Lafayette Board of Public Works, members of Greater Lafayette Indivisible, a local organization committed to progressive political issues, said they anticipate 5,000 to 6,000 attendees at the march, 1 to 3 p.m. on March 28.
The group is asking for several street closures to safely accommodate pedestrians, the request said, essentially closing off traffic access surrounding the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. Those closures include Main Street from the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge to Fourth Street, Columbia Street from Second Street to Fourth Street, Second Street from Columbia Street to Main Street, Third Street from Columbia Street to Main Street, and Fourth Street from Columbia Street to Main Street.
“People will be marching from Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette, around the Tippecanoe County Courthouse, and back to Tapawingo Park via the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge,” a letter attached to the request said. “We will have safety marshals to help with the march and we will be encouraging folks to head back to Tapawingo Park after they have completed the march.”
The scheduled March 28 event follows two previous “No Kings” marches, in June and October, where local residents protested actions and policies implemented by the Trump administration, drawing thousands of people.
A similar national event dubbed “Hands Off! Mass Mobilization” on April 5 drew a crowd of about 1,000. That event encountered an interruption after an altercation broke out between two men, one marching with the crowd and one motorist driving down Columbia Street, ending with the motorist being briefly detained after pulling an assault rifle from his truck.
As of March 5, no charges have been filed in that incident. A special prosecutor was appointed in April for those cases.
The request for street closures for the upcoming march will be heard during the March 10 Board of Public Works meeting at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: ‘No Kings’ organizers in Lafayette expect thousands, seek street closures
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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