(This article was updated to include additional information).
EVANSVILLE — Hundreds braved the rain to rally against President Donald Trump’s administration in downtown Evansville Saturday as similar gatherings swept cities and towns across the nation.
The “No Kings” protest outside the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse served as a “national day of defiance,” organizers said. Speakers and rally goers assailed what they said where Trump’s anti-democratic tendencies, his aggressive immigration crackdown and Republican-backed federal spending cuts, among myriad other policies.
“Dictator or democracy — that is the choice,” one colorful, hand-drawn protest sign read.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” read another.
Indivisible Evansville and Evansville Resistance, two progressive advocacy groups, organized the protest “to defend democracy and show that power belongs to the people, not a would-be king,” the group’s leaders stated.
Beginning around 1 p.m., hundreds of sign-carrying demonstrators filled the plaza outside the federal building and lined both sides of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Sycamore Street and Vine Street.
The protest was one of more than 2,000 rallies planned for Saturday under the “No Kings” slogan across major American metros – including Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles – and in smaller cities like Evansville, West Palm Beach, Fla. and Springfield, Mo.
A “No Kings” protest outside the Indiana Statehouse drew more than 4,000 demonstrators, the IndyStar reported.
The mass demonstrations across the country come after U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles sparked days-long clashes between protestors and police this week. Trump deployed the National Guard to the city over California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections to put down what he described as an “insurrection” and “invasion.”
More: ‘No Kings’ protests are set all over the world Saturday. Here’s where they’ll be locally.
Also on Saturday, Trump hosted the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington D.C. — a show of military might unlike any in the nation’s capital since parading troops celebrated victory in the 1991 Gulf War.
In Evansville, some of the protesters asserted it was no coincidence that Trump’s long-envisioned military parade coincided with his 79th birthday, though the White House denies any connection.
Speaking to the rain-dampened crowd, Veterans for Peace civilian spokesman John O’Leary called for an end to what he described as “injustices” committed by Trump’s administration. He also threw a few verbal barbs the president’s way.
“Although he is not king of the United States, there is no doubt our president is the king of injustice,” O’Leary proclaimed. “When this day is done, he will no doubt wobble off to some golf course and pretend the war in the Middle East is under control.”
Another speaker, University of Evansville history professor Dr. James MacLeod, decried Trump as an “authoritarian.” He implored protestors to support the city’s immigrant community and to elect representatives who would vigorously oppose Trump’s policies.
“Stop hiding in polite silence and join us on the streets,” MacLeod said, prompting cheers from the crowd. “Continue to join protests like this one and make your voice heard.”
David Schwartz was among the contingent of military veterans at the rally, and he made no effort to camoflauge his view of the president: Schwartz protested in an army-green “Veterans Against Trump” t-shirt.
“What we’re seeing right now, this is not what I signed up to fight for,” Schwartz, who said he served in the U.S. Marine Corps., told the Courier & Press. “I signed up to fight for the Constitution of the United States of America, not for the tangerine tyrant.”
At least one pro-Trump activist said they attended the protest in disguise.
“I spy with my little eye,” Ken Colbert, a self-described “America First” conservative, wrote in an X post sharing photos and videos of the crowd. The post racked up more than 30,000 views by Saturday evening.
Despite his best efforts at concealment, Colbert said several demonstrators recognized him.
Rhea Linzy, 20, journeyed across the Ohio River from nearby Henderson, Kentucky, to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies and what she described as its demonization of LGBTQ people.
“I’m part of the LGBTQ community,” Linzy said. “I don’t feel safe in my own country. I feel like you need to be out here for your voice to be heard.”
Braxtin Webb, 17, said she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout in a predominantly pro-Trump region. Trump won Vanderburgh County in the 2024 presidential election by more than 10 points.
“Honestly, there are more people than I expected,” Webb said from her perch at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sycamore Street. “It’s been such a supportive crowd. I’ve been loving the energy.”
The demonstrators began to clear out around 3 p.m. The protest remained peaceful and there was no significant law enforcement presence to speak of. Wendy Bredhold, of Indivisible Evansville, said that was by design: Organizers coordinated with police ahead of time, she said.
There were a few verbal spats between protestors and passing motorists, a handful of whom jeered at the crowd from their cars and trucks over the course of the afternoon. Other motorists appeared to voice their support for the protestors’ aims by repeatedly honking their horns.
In Indianapolis, city police detained a protester who reportedly ripped a pro-Trump flag away from a counter-demonstrator, according to the IndyStar. The newspaper’s reporters said they did not witness any other significant disputes.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Hundreds gather for ‘No Kings’ protest in downtown Evansville
