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 policies.
“Dictator or democracy — that is the choice,” one colorful protest sign read.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” read another.
Indivisible Evansville and Resistance Evansville, 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.
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 Court Street.
“No Kings” protest at the Indiana Statehouse drew more than 4,000 demonstrators
The protest was one of more than 2,000 rallies organized under the “No Kings” slogan on Saturday 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.
More: ‘No Kings’ protests are set all over the world Saturday. Here’s where they’ll be locally.
Also on Saturday, Trump is hosting 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.
Some of the protesters asserted it was no coincidence that Trump’s long-envisioned military parade coincides with his 79th birthday, though the White House denies any connection.
Speaking to the rain-dampened crowd outside Evansville’s federal building, Veterans for Peace civilian spokesman John O’Leary called for an end to injustice while throwing a few barbs Trump’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.”
Rhea Linzy, 20, made a trip across the Ohio River from nearby Henderson, Kentucky, to rally in opposition to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown 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 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 crowd began to thin around 3 p.m. The rally, which prominently featured calls for non-violent resistance, remained peaceful. There was no heavy law enforcement presence to be seen, and organizers said they coordinated with police ahead of the protest.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Hundreds gather for ‘No Kings’ protest in downtown Evansville