On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne for a peaceful rally known as “No Kings,” protesting recent actions by the Trump Administration.
The rally, organized by Indivisible Northeast Indiana, was one of many nationwide protests that took place in Indiana and across the U.S. This protest coincided with the United States Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC.
Purpose of the “No Kings” Rally
Indivisible Northeast Indiana co-founder Jim Carpenter explained that the rally aimed to bring attention to actions taken by the Trump administration, which he referred to as “unconstitutional.”
Carpenter emphasized that the movement’s goal is to raise awareness about the struggles many people face under the current administration. “This mobilization is meant to highlight the challenges that people who are just trying to get by are facing due to the administration’s actions,” he said.
Voices of Concern
The rally gathered a variety of individuals, each with their own reasons for protesting. Margaret Ankenbruck from Indivisible shared that the protest was an opportunity for people to speak out about the actions of the Trump administration, specifically regarding the legal system and due process.
“The way he’s undermining the legal system and denying due process to people (is) what happens in an authoritarian regime,” Ankenbruck stated.
Dr. Junius Pressey, Jr. also attended the rally to speak out against the administration’s actions regarding healthcare. “With this bill that Congress is trying to pass, it is going to impact the poor,” Dr. Pressey warned. “When you take health programs away from people, that is going to accelerate the number of people that are going to be dying from a lack of healthcare.”
Counterargument from Allen County Republicans
In response to the protest, Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine released a statement defending the actions of the Trump administration.
Shine argued that the protesters were mistaken in calling the administration authoritarian, pointing out that past Democratic presidents, such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, had made similar efforts to cut government spending but had failed to follow through.
Shine added, “Perhaps in 1993, 2011, 2013, and 2024, Republicans should have organized rallies that would have been called ‘No Leadership Day,’ focusing on promises made but not kept by then Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden.” According to Shine, today’s protests were misdirected, as he believes the Trump administration is showing strong leadership in contrast to past administrations.
