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Warsaw was site of a No Kings protest Saturday.
Nationwide, over 3,000 protests were planned and 8 million people took part, according to a news release from the New York Times.
Local organizer Allyson Ross said she mobilized the protest through 50501.
“We’ve had a great turnout at the Warsaw events. So I mean, this is a big community, it’s a very influential community, so we just want to give people in this area a voice, and let them know that we may be a small town in Indiana, but we can make a difference here, too,” she said.
Ross said she was there protesting the direction of fascism the nation “is heading into or that we’re all ready in. I see (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) at the airports.” She said as an American citizen who was born and raised in the country, she is “afraid to be around those types of people. I’m afraid for my own safety.” She brought up the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officers in Minnesota. She said it needs to stop and “people need to feel safe again.”
Warsaw has seen several protests since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term last year. Ross said the numbers for the protests “just keep growing. I think more people are coming out. Different demographics are coming out.” She said there are Republicans, moderates and people who have possibly never even voted before coming out to the protests.
She also mentioned safety protocols were put in place for Saturday’s protest.
“So we have volunteers stationed at each end of the street. We have walkietalkies that we’re in contact with each other. In case something happens, the other side is aware of it, we can control the crowd, make sure everything is flowing the way it needs to go,” she said.
She said at the student walk out at Warsaw Community High School Feb. 13, there was an incident when someone “got violent towards the students, trying to incite violence.”
“Honestly, I’m hoping that when people see that we have safety protocols in place that they will feel more confident and able to come out and support the movement. I know there’s a lot of people that feel the same way and are as fired up as we all are. But they’re nervous to come out because they don’t know what’s going to happen or they want to bring their kids and they’re nervous about bringing their kids,” she said.
Lisa Rector said she was protesting Saturday because she hasn’t been happy with Trump since he was president during his first term.
“This time, it’s even worse. And he’s got a bunch of Republicans who support all the horrible things he does,” she said.
During Trump’s first term, “he atleast tried, I think, to have people around him that had some knowledge of what they’re doing,” but now he has people around him that will do what he wants. She said some of the decisions the administration have made have affected the economy. The inflation rate has gone up and gas prices are “through the roof” because of the war in Iran. She also noted removal of DEI regulations and ICE action and Pretti’s and Good’s shootings.
She said she hopes people see other people who may agree with the way they’re feeling that are protesting.
Cathie Fox said she was protesting because she thought the nation’s democracy was at risk and she wanted to make sure there are free and fair elections. This is the fourth protest she’s attended.
She said she hope people see “what’s at risk now.”
Mark Fox said they’re exercising their right to free speech and protest now and “if we don’t do that now, it’s going to be taken away.”
He said there is no Republican Party any more and called Trump corrupt.
