Thousands of Hoosiers across Indiana exercised their Constitutional right to free speech participating in the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his administration.
An estimated 2,700 rallies took place from coast-to-coast Oct. 18, drawing millions of Americans who marched, held signs, chanted slogans or wore costumes to voice their frustrations with many of Trump’s recent policies.
It was one of the largest single-day demonstrations in recent history, said organizers, drawing nearly seven million participants. No major incidents or arrests were reported during the day.
What ‘No Kings” organizers said about the protests
“Millions of Americans stood together to reject authoritarianism and remind the world that our democracy belongs to the people, not to one man’s ambition,” said Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, Co-Founders, Indivisible in a news release.
“This movement isn’t about a single protest; it’s about a growing chorus of Americans who refuse to be ruled. Trump may want a crown, but in this country, there are no kings.”
Congressional Republicans dismissed ‘No Kings’ protests as ‘hate America’ rallies
Some congressional Republicans referred to the protests as “hate America” rallies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who accused them for prolonging the current government shutdown.
In a recent FOX News segment, Indiana U.S. Sen. Jim Banks dismissed the demonstrations, saying Trump had won a mandate to clean up the country.
“If that angers these ‘No Kings’ protesters and riles them up to dress up in their costumes to go out in protest out in the streets, it doesn’t intimidate any of us who understand what happened on election day,” Banks said to a Fox News correspondent.
‘Our institutions are being destroyed,’ said married Indiana couple
Some protesters traveled more than an hour to participate in the protest at the Indiana Statehouse, including Susie and Richard Thompson, both 76, of Terre Haute, Indiana.
“We are ashamed of our government right now and we are deeply concerned about what’s happening in the United States,” Susie Thompson said. “So we thought, there’s no more powerful antidote to what’s happening than our voice, so here we are.”
Richard Thompson echoed her thoughts.
“Right now, our institutions are being destroyed,” he said, “and if something isn’t done to save them soon, we may never get them back again.”
Where did ‘No Kings’ protests take place in Indiana?
Rallies took place in more than 30 Indiana cities and towns, which included Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Muncie and South Bend.
What ‘No Kings’ demonstrations looked like across Indiana
How many people attended ‘No Kings’ protests in Indiana?
While exact estimates aren’t known, many “No Kings” demonstrations across the Hoosier State drew hundreds if not thousands of protesters at each rally.
Organizers estimated more than 6,000 people attended the demonstration in Indianapolis. The previous June rally saw a crowd of 4,000 people.
In Muncie, hundreds of protesters held signs spanning the Fallen Heroes Bridge. Some estimated the crowd approached roughly 1,000 people.
By noon Oct. 18 in South Bend, an estimated 1,000-2,000 people held signs denouncing Trump. Meanwhile, “throngs of demonstrators” crowded sidewalks in downtown Evansville.
Marchers circled the courthouse in Lafayette where speeches interspersed with music could be heard later from a nearby park. A man observing the rally from out-of-state told a Courier & Journal reporter the protests had a personal meaning for him.
“I’ve been in town this week because my mother is losing her Medicaid,” said Marvin Butler of New York. “We need to put her in a nursing home because she’s losing her Medicaid, which is paying for her aides that she desperately needs… it’s around the same issues that the protest is about.”
IndyStar Politics Editor Kaitlin Lange, IndyStar reporter Tony Cook, Star Press reporter Douglas Walker, Courier & Press reporter Houston Harwood and Journal & Courier reporter Ron Wilkins contributed to this article.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How many attended ‘No Kings’ protests in Indianapolis? What were rallies like in Indiana?
Reporting by John Tufts, Tony Cook and Kaitlin Lange, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
