A river of chanting protesters, many carrying hand-crafted signs, flowed through the streets of downtown Louisville Saturday afternoon to show their opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Louisville ‘No Kings’ protest was one of about 2,700 taking place across the state and the country Saturday, according to organizers. The October event followed the first “No Kings” protest in June.
As the marchers gathered at the Belvedere, 17-year-old Brando Taylor waved and cheered at passing traffic in a white “No Kings” T-shirt he made for the occasion, the letters carefully hand drawn in red and blue permanent marker.
“My top issue is I think, in general, just [Trump] trying to cram himself into everything he can… And it's just not fair to the country and to the people. He's turning it into a fascist government. And that's not okay,” Taylor said.
It was Taylor’s first protest, as it was for many others at Saturday’s demonstration, like 53-year-old Nancy Wine. Wine brought her dog with her for comfort. Wine said she votes in every election, but until recently has been private about her political beliefs.
“I’m not a political person. But I'm concerned with where things are going,” Wine said.
Demonstrators described a variety of issues, not only with what they see as an overreach of presidential power, but also GOP-backed policies and rhetoric around health care, food stamps, reproductive rights, immigration, housing insecurity and LGBTQ+ rights.
There were many generations in the crowd. Sam Kumar and Sarah Hall came in from Oldham County along with their two children. Kumar said he wanted his boys to “see how democracy functions.”
His 10-year-old son Jax Govindarajulu said he wanted to march because he’s upset the Trump administration has not released files related to the federal investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and child sex offender.
His brother, 8-year-old Ridley Govindarajulu, had a clear opinion of Trump.
“I don’t like him, and he’s racist,” he said.
Scarlett Culp, 10, came with her mother and cousin, choosing to spend her birthday marching. She was disturbed by reports that immigration authorities were removing children from the country.
“All because they weren’t born here, and I don't think that's right, and everyone should have their rights,” she said.
Other parents were hesitant to bring their children over safety concerns.
There was virtually no visible law enforcement presence during the peaceful three-hour demonstration. So-called “peace keepers” — civilians in fluorescent vests — directed traffic when necessary and said they were on hand to intervene if conflicts arose.
Dwight Mitchell, spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department, said while there may not have been a visible uniformed presence, LMPD “did have a security plan in place to ensure public safety.”
“Our approach prioritized de-escalation and community trust, which included monitoring the event discreetly and coordinating with other city departments,” Mitchell said in an email.
The protest was not marked by much conflict. Near the end of the rally, less than a handful of counter-protestors arrived carrying a pro-Trump flag. The yellow-vested peace keepers quickly and quietly surrounded them providing a barrier against about a dozen hecklers.
Occasionally during the march, the sing-song chant “Bre-onn-a Tay-lor!” would go up — the name of the 26-year-old woman that was once heard daily in these streets during months of demonstrations over her killing by police in 2020.
Robbey Taylor was among a number of “No Kings” protest organizers who was also active during those protests in 2020. Taylor, a member Black Lives Matter Louisville, joined the state chapter of 50-50-1, the group organizing “No Kings” protests nationwide.
“It feels like we’re fighting the same unjust system that we were fighting in 2020,” he said. “It’s all the same thing — just under a different costume.”
Around his ankle, Taylor wore a yellow silk flower – a decoration that once adorned Breonna Taylor’s memorial in Jefferson Square Park.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the crowd estimate. Thousands of people attended the event.
