Hundreds joined in on chants like “love not hate” and “this is what democracy looks like” at Marion’s No Kings rally Saturday afternoon.
Demonstrators gathered outside of the Marion County Courthouse and lined South Main Street holding signs and flags.
By 12:15 p.m., just 15 minutes after the advertised start time, a couple hundred had gathered. Event organizers said this was the largest rally they’ve had all year.
One demonstrator, Renee Haner, said she was there to fight for democracy.
“Seeing this many people come out, that’s fantastic,” Haner said. “I look at it like this, for every one of these people, there are 10 more people hiding in their house that wish they had the balls to come out and do this.”
Cara Stevens, secretary for the Marion County Democratic Club, said she was there to voice her concern for President Donald Trump’s “complete disregard of Constitutional norms” and misinformation being spread.
During Saturday’s rally, Stevens said she saw some who have voiced concerns to her in private, participate in the rally openly.
“I think for a community like ours, this is really important,” Stevens said. “We are a minority. This is a community that went very strongly for Trump. So I think continuing to let people that are concerned know that they’re not alone, is really important.”
In 2024, about 70% of voters in Marion County voted for Trump.
Some demonstrators interviewed Saturday thought there may be some change in the support for Trump while others called Trump supporters “brainwashed.”
Kent Halloran, member of Citizens for Democracy of Marion, said he always welcomes those with differing views to speak with protestors and to learn why they believe what they believe.
“This is a very red area,” Halloran said. “There might be some awakening that it’s not a monochrome community. There are people here with different viewpoints, and all we’re asking is we want different viewpoints heard.”
Veterans protesting military parade and U.S. Marine deployment in California
A number of veterans were present during the protest, including Harriet Bomas who held both American and Mexican flags. She said while she’s Greek, immigration is a big issue for her.
“We took an oath,” Bomas, a Marion native and U.S. army veteran, said. “That’s why you have a lot of veterans here. They took an oath to protect the Constitution.”
Demonstrator Brenda Westcott, the president of the Marion County Democrats Club, is a U.S. Army veteran. She said she’s “disgusted” to see Trump’s military parade scheduled for Saturday evening.
The parade has been estimated to cost close to $40 million.
“He’s turned that into a birthday parade,” Westcott said. “It’s not about celebrating my army. That could have gone to veterans that sorely need it. They don’t have any problems sending us out to get killed for them, right?”
Counter protestors present on Saturday
A handful of counter protestors moved to stand behind the line of No Kings protestors. They chanted “Trump” at the No Kings demonstrators holding up signs and a flag of their own.
Justin Johnson, who’s from Marion, was one of the demonstrators supporting Trump.
“I voted for Trump all three years,” Johnson said, “and I just don’t understand how they’re trying to say that Donald Trump said that he’s going to be a king and he’s a dictator and he wants to take over the world, over the United States, when all that he wants to do is make America great again.”
Johnson said he is a factory worker and works overtime shifts. He supports Trump, in part, because of Trump’s proposed tax cut on overtime wages.
“Why can you not support that?” Johnson asked.
As No Kings protestors cheered “love not hate,” toward Johnson, he said he agreed with their message.
Another No Kings demonstrator, Kathy Winbourne, said she expected more Trump supporters at the rally.
“Not that I want any aggression or anything, but if you stand behind him so much, why are you hiding?” Winbourne said.
Halloran said Saturday’s rally was the first the group had seen counter protestors. But he emphasized both groups had a right to protest under the First Amendment.
“We’re fighting for their fights, too,” Halloran said. “This isn’t just for us and for people who are for more liberal policies. This is for everyone.”
Saturday’s protest was organized by Citizens for Democracy, a chapter of Indivisible Marion and the Marion County Democratic Club.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: No Kings protest in Marion sees hundreds of demonstrators, few counter protestors
Reporting by Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star / Marion Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
