Repeated bursts of drenching rain didn’t scare away the thousands of Hoosiers amassing at the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday to protest the policies and actions of President Donald Trump, who celebrated his 79th birthday in Washington D.C. today.
Trump’s birthday coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Both were honored with a military parade in the nation’s capital as protesters gathered across the country for “No Kings” protests.
“I want to be on the right side of history,” said Fiona Betts, of Marion County.
Upwards of 3,000 Hoosiers attended Saturday’s protest, according to the Indiana State Police, who monitored the event from the perimeter and detained at least one participant after a scuffle with an opposing protester.
Attendees marched nonstop around the Indiana Statehouse for a few hours, chanting about democracy to a constant stream of car horns down Capitol Avenue.
Organizers repeatedly emphasized a nonviolent approach, distributing whistles to alert security of any counterprotesters “that may try to cause trouble” and advising the crowd not to engage with them.
Mother-daughter duo, Rhonda and Donna Clair, came because “we’re worried about our democracy.”
“Our immigrants are not getting their due process and people are being snatched out of their schools and workplaces. We’re worried that equality is not (getting) attention too,” continued Rhonda Clair. “We just want people to be treated with dignity and respect and we’re not seeing that.”
Rhonda Clair, who decorated crowns for her and her mother, also mentioned international affairs as a concern, specifically whether America was alienating longstanding allies.
Several signs likened Trump’s actions with those of dictatorship, with one Hoosier comparing raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement with Adolph Hitler’s Gestapo. Other common themes were “FDT,” a curse for the president, No Kings pictograms and tacos.
Saturday’s event coincided with Indianapolis’ Pride celebration and the Indiana Pacers’ appearance in the 2025 NBA Finals, with all three crowds intermingling in the streets of downtown Indianapolis.
Many attendees went to both the Pride parade, which started at 10 a.m., and the No Kings protest, including husbands Brad and Doug Cope-Barnes.
“We have to show up. We need to see that there are other people who care and who think like we do,” said Doug Cope-Barnes. “It’s not all grim and hopeless; we need hope.”
State Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, also spoke of hope, encouraging the crowd to build a better future and vote against the state’s Republican supermajority in future elections.
“This country was built on the radical idea that power comes from the people. And we the people still hold that power today,” Hamilton said. “… let’s take back our democracy! Let’s get to work!”
A few hundred protesters lingered as the event wound down at 3 p.m. and organizers struck their tents. Many of the remaining attendees held sodden pieces of cardboard with barely legible writing or left their signs to adorn the southern Statehouse lawn. Others vowed to come back, buoyed by the large crowd and optimistic spirit — and hopeful that the weather would be better next time.
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