Demonstrators took to the streets in communities across the country Saturday, in a series of organized marches criticizing President Trump. In Cincinnati, the topics at the No Kings rally ranged from immigration policy to government cuts, to .
June 14 is the Army's 250 anniversary. It's also President Trump's birthday. Army veteran Forrest Brandt of Anderson Township says that's the real reason for the parade in Washington.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 see it as a celebration of the Army鈥檚 250th,鈥� he says. 鈥淟et鈥檚 get that sham out there right now. They see it as Donald Trump鈥檚 birthday party. Lincoln and Washington earned birthday parties.鈥�
Brandt served in the Army for five years, and served 25 years as a Reservist.
He has no problem with the National Guard getting called up ahead of demonstrations, as long as it's by the governor's command, not by a president. Brandt says it's a frightening step past precedent.
President Trump ordered the turned violent.
Ed Finke of Indian Hill served in the 2nd Infantry from 1970 to 1972. He says the parade in Washington is a 鈥渃harade.鈥�
Finke says he remembers in history class people wondering how Germans in the 1930s let fascists take control.
鈥淲e took an oath, my fellow veterans and I, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd never in my wildest dreams did I think the domestic part would come in play and even worse, it would come in play from the very top of our administration.鈥�
The governors of Texas and Missouri activated National Guard units this week in anticipation of Saturday鈥檚 rallies.
Ken Sensor of North Avondale says he鈥檚 concerned by that.
鈥淚t gives Trump the excuse to call in the Insurrection Act, which takes away the powers of Congress and the powers of the courts, and puts the power in his hands, and gives him free reign to do what he wants to do.鈥� Sensor wants Congress to take a stand.
Sandra Davis of Florida was in Cincinnati visiting family and decided to join Saturday鈥檚 march.
鈥淚 didn't think there would be this many people,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just wanted to cry when I saw.鈥�
Her husband Marcus wasn鈥檛 worried about facing the National Guard at the march from the University of Cincinnati campus to Burnet Woods. 鈥淲e still have freedom of speech. We have to hold on to that,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hatever it takes. If I end up in jail, I end up in jail.鈥�
Betsy Young of Northside says she鈥檚 skipped a few demonstrations, but felt the current atmosphere was serious enough to 鈥渢ake to the streets.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that people will listen,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat the people in power, obviously not Republicans, but the Democrats at least will start saying 鈥榯hese people are voters, and we need to do something. We need to stand up before it鈥檚 too late.鈥� I鈥檓 hoping it will send that message.鈥�
Hamilton
Attendees at the No Kings protest in Hamilton filled the plaza in front of the city鈥檚 municipal building and spilled out onto the other sides of High Street and Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd. They chanted 鈥渘o kings in America鈥� and held signs decrying Trump.
Linda Spurier is a Hamilton resident who is concerned with civil rights and Trump鈥檚 mass deportations.
鈥淲hen we have the military going out into the streets and chasing down law-abiding people who have been here for a long time, it鈥檚 heartbreaking for me,鈥� she said.
Spurier was one of several people who criticized the district鈥檚 congressional representative Warren Davidson, a Republican. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 seem interested in representing the 40 percent of us who did not vote for him and did not vote for Donald Trump and that鈥檚 concerning,鈥� she said.
Bob Harris listed several reasons he felt the need to be at the rally. He lives in Hamilton, but he鈥檚 concerned about national issues from cuts to the CDC to the alienation of America鈥檚 allies.
鈥淚n less than five months he鈥檚 turned America upside down,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e brings Elon Musk into the oval office. He didn鈥檛 run for any office. And Trump wants to proclaim himself a king and spend millions of dollars to have a military parade for himself. Who鈥檚 going to put up with that? I know there鈥檚 a lot of intelligent people in America. America鈥檚 not going to stand for that.鈥�
Hamilton resident Ellen Heet organized the rally. She said it鈥檚 her first time doing something like that.
鈥淭here was nothing in Hamilton, so I registered for Hamilton, and then this happened,鈥� she said, motioning to the crowd behind her. 鈥淚 was sick of sitting back and doing nothing and being quiet. We鈥檙e exercising our First Amendment right, and we got a good turnout.鈥�
Heet said Trump鈥檚 actions on immigration were a primary concern for her.
鈥淚 think ICE Is completely overstepping any constitutional barriers鈥� just seeing families ripped apart and the brazenness of it all.鈥�
Middletown
The No Kings protest in J.D. Vance鈥檚 hometown stretched several blocks along busy Towne Boulevard. Many protesters waved American flags and held signs decrying deportations, Trump鈥檚 military parade and various administration policies.
Army veteran and Middletown resident Brady Findlay listed a number of reasons he attended the rally. As he stood with an American flag, he talked about his anger at Elon Musk and the cuts instituted by the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump鈥檚 deportations of people with legal standing to be in the U.S., and his frequent clashes with the federal judiciary.
鈥淗e鈥檚 just breaking everything in the constitution,鈥� Findlay said. 鈥淎nd he鈥檚 been getting rid of people we need in the VA Administration. He鈥檚 deporting children and saying children born here aren鈥檛 citizens. They are citizens. That鈥檚 in the constitution.鈥�
Findlay took special offense to today鈥檚 military parade in Washington, DC.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a downgrading of the military,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know most of those people there don鈥檛 want to be there, but they have to. They have to obey orders. He鈥檚 showing he wants to be a dictator like Putin and the guy in North Korea. He鈥檚 seen their parades and thinks he can be a dictator too.鈥�
Yolanda Hart, who grew up in Middletown and now lives in Monroe, echoed many of Findlay鈥檚 concerns.
鈥淵ou have to be able to stand up and say something when things are going wrong,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he president thinks there are no checks and balances on him. That鈥檚 the beauty of our country. They balance things out and keep our democracy in place.鈥�
Hart said she鈥檚 troubled by the military march and believes it鈥檚 a symbol of dictatorship.
There were a few counter-protesters. Three men wearing Trump shirts and waving Trump signs played Vanilla Ice and Lee Greenwood鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 Proud to be an American鈥� from across the street. No Kings protesters sang along to the song.
Another counter-protester drove by several times with a pink swastika sign. That driver ran into the rear of another car during the last of those passes. She appeared okay but was taken away on a stretcher and her car towed. The other driver appeared uninjured.
Middletown resident Constance Miller organized the rally as part of 50501. She said she was pleased with the turnout 鈥� and especially the number of flags people brought.
鈥淲e have governed ourselves for 250 years,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need someone sending the military into the streets to govern us. It鈥檚 flag day today and that flag is a promise that America promises to everybody. And we鈥檙e reclaiming that flag.鈥�
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