Carla Clark | For the Republic Protestors march during the No Kings Protest at Columbus City Hall held on the No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance, Columbus, Ind., Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Columbus will again be one of thousands of communities across the country gathering for a “No Kings” rally this weekend, which organizers say is a peaceful protest against the second Trump administration.
It’ll take place on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. on the front steps of Columbus City Hall, followed by a gathering along Second Street. An event page for the local protest can be found here.
More than 40 other Indiana communities are also having a rally. No Kings rallies have also been planned for this weekend in Nashville, Greensburg, Madison and Bedford.
Columbus took part in a No Kings rally in June after a “Hands Off our Democracy, Rally, and March” in April. The previous rallies held in Columbus have been completely peaceful.
“In June, millions of everyday Americans from every walk of life peacefully took to the streets and declared with one voice: No Kings,” an event description reads. “The world saw the power of the people, and President Trump’s attempt at a coronation collapsed under the strength of a movement rising against his abuses of power.”
“Now, he’s doubling down — sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle,” it goes on. “This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship. And together, we’re choosing democracy.”
Columbus Community United is the main sponsor of the local rally, in collaboration with Bartholomew County Indivisible and Rise Up Columbus. The national Indivisible organization is the main organizer nationwide, but like in Columbus, the rallies across the country are also being organized with the help of a coalition of local progressive groups.
National organizers expect the second iteration to far surpass the roughly 5 million demonstrators who turned out for June’s No Kings rally. There were 1,000 people who showed up for the first Columbus No Kings rally and local organizers hope that number will double this time around.
“We hope that there will be a very large number of people who will just come for that hour and share their message,” Cate Hyatt, an organizer, said. “The main message this time is that we’re American citizens who love our country… We want it to be fun for people. We want them to be joyous and share their signs that show how much they do love our country.”
In a Fox News interview, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) referred to those marching Saturday as the “pro-Hamas wing” and the “antifa people.” Republican congressional leaders have dubbed them the “hate America” rallies.
Attendees are encouraged wear yellow and bring signs, but also to wear costumes. The latter stems from viral videos of protests in Portland that showed people in Tyrannosaurus rex and green frog costumes dancing in front of armed law enforcement agents.
Hyatt said that non-profit Food Not Bombs will also be collecting food and other items on Saturday for later donation.
