Millions of people showed up all around the country on Oct. 18 for the “No Kings” protests. Here in Indianapolis, there were more than 6,000 who showed up downtown in support of the movement. This was the second large-scale protest of the same name, with the first one taking place on June 14 of this year. On that same day, it was President of the United States Donald Trump's birthday.
These protests were held to bring awareness to problems that Trump's administration has caused and to force changes to happen in his administration. Thousands of people showed up, and it was a successful nonviolent protest. People were able to join together peacefully and fight for what they believe is right.
Seeing the number of people protesting increasing each time shows the determination people have to not stop fighting and show people that they will not accept someone who sees himself as a king rather than a president in America. There have been a lot of concerns circulating protecting voting rights, advocating for immigrant rights and defending those who have been negatively affected by the new Trump administration policies.
There are many factors into creating a change in politics. Changing people’s, especially leaders' perspectives, is hard to do. People argue for what they believe, and both sides of the argument believe they are right.
Donald Trump was first president from 2016 to 2020. His election win in 2024 against Kamala Harris was already problematic to a lot of people due to his 2016 presidential run; meanwhile, one of the reasons people didn't want Harris was because she is a woman. Though many believed Kamala Harris was the right candidate for president, others said otherwise. Thus, Donald Trump became president. Even now, almost a year later, people still believe there should have been a different outcome. People argue that Trump's administration is horrible, stating that he is ruining the economy, raising prices and cutting jobs, while he gives power to increasing tariffs. This has caused people to become upset and join together for changes to be made, which is what the “No Kings” protests are about. Ever since he came into office, protests have sprouted everywhere, including in Indianapolis, bringing the community together and using their power and their voice, fighting and standing for those who can't.
In response to these protests, Trump has continued to send militarized agents into communities and is giving money to billionaires instead of families who continue to struggle. People believe that it is a battle of democracy versus dictatorship, with the people representing democracy and Donald Trump representing dictatorship.
These protests were able to energize civic participation among Hoosiers, from longtime activists to first time protestors, but it can’t stop here. Protestors need to continue to use their voices. Your voice is the strongest ability you have. Use that to your advantage. Continue protesting, boycotting what you believe is wrong and supporting your community. It seems like nothing will change, but change does not happen overnight, especially politically and socially. Stand for what you believe is right. Your voice is your strongest tool for communication.