The "No Kings" rallies across the country in June paled in size with the ones that were held in dozens of communities throughout Ohio this past weekend. Thousands of people opposed to policies and actions by the administration of President Trump attended some rallies across Ohio. The largest was at the Statehouse, during an OSU football game against Wisconsin. Organizers estimate more than 10,000 attended that rally.
The west lawn of the Statehouse was packed with people carrying signs and chanting things like, "No Hate, No Fear, Immigrants are welcome here," or "Open the Epstein files." The crowd spilled out onto the sidewalks on all sides.
Democratic Former Gov. Ted Strickland was among them.
"I'm here because I love America and I am here because we have a president who is moving us toward fascism," Strickland said.
Mia Lewis, who works with Common Cause Ohio and Indivisible of Central Ohio, was one of the organizers for the "No Kings" event.
"I think it's really important to understand that people are here because they care about this country. They want to protect the things that are special and good about this country," Lewis said. "And one of them is the rule of law. We don't have kings, we have laws, we have the constitution."
Hayden Shugarts, an Ohio State University student who is also a veteran, said he's concerned because he sees parallels between the federal government now and what happened in Germany preceding World War II. Shugarts said as a veteran, he feels the need to speak up.
"We take an oath to defend the Constitution, not a president, against enemies foreign and domestic, and right now, we have some domestic issues here," Shugarts said.
Many carried signs denouncing the Trump administration's actions on immigration, on what they see as attacks on freedom of speech and the press, and concerns about democracy in general.
There wasn't an organized counterprotest at the Statehouse. But Jillian Arena and Alex Applegate were among a few Trump supporters who showed up, carrying an American flag.
"He's doing great things for us. He's bringing God back into schools and places of work. He's trying to get rid of the handouts and things like that. And when you come into the country, you should come in legally," Arena said. "And he's never declared to be a king. Jesus is king."
But many attendees were carrying signs about Christianity and how they believe Christ would condemn the current federal policies on immigration and more. A giant Jesus circulated the crowd, bearing a verse from the Biblical book of Leviticus in one hand about welcoming foreigners and carrying a "WWJD?" sign in the other hand.
The event was peaceful. And as with all large events at the Statehouse, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers walked the premises. And the Columbus Police's Dialogue Team moved through the crowd, holding friendly conversations with protestors.
This week, the Ohio Redistricting Commission is set to meet to discuss drawing a new 15-district congressional map. Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) said he hopes his fellow lawmakers took notice of the event at the Statehouse and elsewhere in Ohio.
"Listen, let's find common ground. That's the issue. In a democracy, we've got to work together and in truth and integrity," Craig said.
Lewis said she was proud of the event. She said there were no arrests or disturbances, nothing was broken, and no garbage left behind. She praised the friendly interactions with law enforcement.
"It makes me feel proud!," Lewis said.
Rallies were held in dozens of cities throughout Ohio
In addition to the Statehouse event, the "No Kings" protests were held in more than 24 cities throughout the state, including all of Ohio's major cities and many smaller towns.
Earlier in the day, hundreds gathered for the "No Kings" event in Delaware north of Columbus. Jim Bleek, a retired Air Force veteran, said he attended the protest there because he believes in the importance of democracy.
"Our ability to express ourselves - that's our First Amendment right," Bleek said.
