Overcast skies and some light rain didn't stop protesters from expressing their disdain for President Donald Trump and his administration.
Several hundred people gathered on June 13 at the Ohio Statehouse for a "No Kings" protest opposing numerous Trump policy decisions and actions, particularly involving immigration enforcement. Attendees waved upright and upside-down American flags — the latter a symbol of distress — and took jabs at both Trump and former Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk with creative signs and posters.
The June 13 protest was organized by Ohio 50501 , a decentralized group that accuses Trump and his administration of illegal and anti-democratic actions since he took office in January, according to its website. The name arose from a February 5 idea of having 50 protests in 50 states for one day.
Organizers of Ohio 50501 and other advocacy and left-leaning groups gathered around 4 p.m. at the Statehouse and gave speeches to the crowd condemning the Trump administration for a litany of issues, including immigration, the economy, and the alignment of Republican politicians with billionaires and the wealthy. As speakers rotated, many used different descriptors when speaking of Trump: "a domestic threat; Orange American Caesar," and other choice words.
When organizers finished speaking, the protesters marched south on High Street from the Statehouse and turned east onto State Street. They then turned north onto Third Street, west onto Broad Street, and marched back to the Statehouse. Throughout the march, dozens of motorists honked their horns in support and shouted words of encouragement at the protesters. Several of the drivers had signs critical of Trump, and occupants displayed them in the windows and sunroofs of their vehicles.
The lone counterprotester, a man driving a rusty black GMC Yukon, repeatedly drove around the Statehouse grounds and filmed protesters on his cell phone. A few of the protesters engaged with the man. The entire demonstration remained peaceful as protesters recited chants and slogans and waved flags and signs.
Jordan B., 29, from Columbus, who asked The Dispatch to only use his first name for fear of reprisal, said he attended the protest because of images and videos of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining immigrants and loading them into vans. In Jordan's opinion, the administration has not been honest about whom ICE agents are detaining in hopes of deportation.
"The administration says they're trying to deport criminals, but we don't see that," said Jordan, who added that he plans to attend more protests and will continue to oppose the Trump administration.
When describing the crowd at the June 13 rally, he said he felt it was a diverse group of people coming together for a common goal.
"This is representative of America," Jordan said.
Gerry Curran, 67, from Lewis Center, accused Trump of "tearing up the Constitution" and making both Americans and immigrants feel unsafe.
"If I were undocumented, I'd be shaking in my boots," Curran said.
Jamie Gaffney, 66, a retired Navy veteran, said he was "pissed off" that he has to protest again. Gaffney reflected on numerous protests he attended in the 1970s for women's rights and other issues at the time.
"I fought for our freedoms, and I won't let our country be trashed by a fascist dictator," Gaffney said.
50501 organizer vows to continue protests to grab attention of Trump, politicians
Columbus' "No Kings" protest continues on June 14 as protesters participate in the Pride March in Downtown.
It also comes on the heels of the ICE Out! protest June 10 at Columbus City Hall. This protest was organized by several left-leaning organizations in Columbus, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the La Raza Movement, the Columbus Democratic Socialists of America, and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. Other states and cities have also seen their own protests against ICE and the Trump administration. including Los Angeles, where a Marine battalion and thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed to protect federal buildings and ICE agents.
Kari Hicks, a Columbus organizer for 50501, told The Dispatch that she felt the June 13 protest went "very well" and said that 50501 was preparing for a "long weekend" of activist events.
Hicks said that 50501's short-term goal is to continue to exert pressure on elected officials and to let them know that the public is watching them. The long-term goal, Hicks said, is to continue collaborating with other Democratic, left-leaning organizations.
"We want 50501 to be a way of bringing us together and not demand that everyone agrees on everything," Hicks said. She declined to elaborate on what other organizations disagree on.
'No Kings' protests continue through weekend, anti-ICE demonstration on June 18
There are several other "No Kings" protests set to take place June 14 around central Ohio. The locations and times are:
- Warehouse 839, Hilliard United Methodist Church, 3691 Main St., Hilliard, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Clintonville protest at the intersection of North Broadway and Indianola Avenue from noon to 2 p.m.
- Westerville City Hall, 21 S. State St., from 3 to 4 p.m.
- Grove City City Hall, 4035 Broadway, from 4 to 5 p.m.
- Pickerington protest from noon to 2 p.m. at the intersection of State Route 256 and Refugee Road.
- Delaware City Hall, 1 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, from noon to 1 p.m.
- Madison County Courthouse, 1 N. Main St., London, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
An anti-ICE demonstration is scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 18 at Columbus City Hall. The demonstration is being organized by the Columbus branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Ohio 50501, and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, according to a flyer for the demonstration.
(This story was updated to add a video and to meet our standards.)
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at <succeeded> , at ShahidMeighan on X , and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hundreds gather at Ohio Statehouse for 'No Kings' protest, more planned for weekend
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