Protesters join national movement to express opposition to government actions

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A crowd of hundreds gathered around the Howard County Courthouse on Sat., March 28, to participate in No Kings 3.0, a nationwide protest opposing actions taking by the federal government under the direction of President Donald Trump.

More than 9 million protesters participated in the event in more than 3,100 communities across the U.S., and in every location, the message was repeated. The protesters are unwilling to stand by as the government allegedly dismantles what they believe to be vital to the nation’s democracy.

In Kokomo, the protesters marched around the courthouse, shouting out chants and carrying signs expressing their extreme displeasure with national and also state actions. And they congregated near the steps of the courthouse to hear speeches from organizers and political candidates who share the same views.

The march marked the third “No Kings” protest that has been held in the U.S., and Kokomo participated in each of them, attracting scores of angry citizens turned activists. The latest march, organized locally by Operation Blue Horizon (OBH), filled the courthouse lawn and sidewalks as Hannah Guillaume-Wenger, OBH organizer and candidate for Center Township Trustee Advisory Board, warmed up the crowd.

“This should not be the one time of year that you come out and do something,” said Guillaume-Wenger. “We are making change, and it starts today. I know things feel heavy right now, and I know that this is frustrating. This is not the time to go quiet, because silence now is complicity, and we will not be complicit.

“Protest is powerful, but protest without action is just noise. We gather like this to remind people, especially in a red state, that they are not alone. There are others who see what’s happening, who feel it, and who are ready to stand up and say ‘enough.’”

Guillaume-Wenger encouraged the crowd to direct their energy toward standing up for their friends, family, and neighbors, along with marginalized groups and minorities who struggle to find a voice. And she encouraged them to not just vote in May and November, but to educate themselves on the candidates and their positions.

“Find your candidate,” said Guillaume-Wenger. “Find out who is on the ballot and who is going to fight for you. Find people who stand up for you as a person. Find someone who is not going to fill their pockets. Find someone who is not taking orders from the higher power.

“Learn their names. Know your ballot. Educate yourselves. The other side doesn’t care who’s up there. They care about money, and they care about hate. That is not what we stand for.”

Between marches, a handful of speakers addressed the crowd through megaphones. And each carried a similar message: This is a time for action, at the ballot box and within the community.

Blythe Potter, a candidate for Indiana Secretary of State, spoke to the protesters, urging them to vote so that problems afflicting Indiana and the nation might be addressed.

“We are nearly dead last for voter turnout,” said Potter. “Our air quality is poor. Our water quality is poor. Our quality of life is poor, and it is because of the politicians in office right now and those who’ve come before them with their low standards and self-dealing.

I’m a small business owner, and I know what it means to be under this oppressive type of regime. We need to be able to get ourselves out of this, but we’re not going to do it with the elites. We’re not going to do it with whoever has the most money. This is an election, not an auction.”

Nick Colon, an OBH organizer and candidate for the Howard County Council’s second District, delivered a fiery condemnation of the current state of affairs.

“We are here today in the long-standing American tradition of fighting against tyranny, to demonstrate to our representatives, locally and nationally, that their leadership has been sorely lacking, that the America that they have created is not the America that we were sold growing up,” Colon said.

“We were sold a dream of unity, of equality, of prosperity, of hope, a dream where the rights of everyone are fought for and preserved. We were sold a dream of cheap homes, good and plentiful jobs, clean air, clean water, and clean earth to grow our food, a dream where our land would not be taken from us to be poisoned by some faceless corporate entity.

“But that’s not what we’ve been left with. Our air is polluted. Our water is poisoned. Our farmers are being pushed off the land. And while all of that is happening, we see jackbooted (soldiers) armed for war in our streets and in our airports, tearing families apart and sending them to American concentration camps.

“And now we’re being dragged into a war we didn’t vote for, what our representatives didn’t authorize, and what our service members don’t want to fight. Where are those so-called representatives? Silent, neutered, comfortable, acting like they’re powerless. They were elected to fight for you, to represent you. Do you feel heard? Do you feel represented?”

Nate Stout, a candidate for Indiana House District 38, also spoke to rally the crowd.

“The number of people who are unhappy with what’s going on in the state, in this country, is growing,” said Stout. “This is our time to unite. Share the stories of reckless spending. Share the stories of blind annexation. Share the stories with your neighbor and make sure that they are prepared to vote.

“We have to keep using our voices, because our history is filled with moments just like this. When the people unite, we cannot be stopped. If you want to get back to common sense and loving our neighbor, join us. Let’s lead with what we can do together and bring change back to Indiana.”

Kirsten Root, a candidate for the Indiana Senate, District 21, spoke against many of the actions that have taken place since Trump became president in 2025.

“When I see people being kidnapped off the streets, people imprisoned for poverty in new ways, and our constitution being treated like the big book of silly jokes for kids, I stop for just a moment and take a big, deep breath,” said Root. “Behind anger is always another feeling. For many of us here today, I believe one of those feelings is fear. What is going to happen next? How can I protect my loved ones when I can’t even protect myself? Who is going to save us?

“For others, I believe the feeling behind the anger is love. It is a deep, burning love for your community, for what democracy is meant to be, and for people you have never even met. I am here today for those very reasons. Some people will say that today means nothing. They may say today was just a day with a crowded space and people who want to put on the record that they don’t agree with what is happening without doing anything that might actually cost them. The answer isn’t to stop having protests.

“Do not let the people who are comfortable and have a stake in the establishment define what today means. Do not let people who want resistance without risk define a protest into a pressure relief valve for the Trump regime. Do not let the submissive men of our government continue to make choices for us.

“Service. Dignity. The worth of a person, human relationships, integrity, competence, social justice. Those values are the only thing I will be submissive to because they define who I am as a person and what I demand for my community. This is not the moment to stand on the sidelines and let the people who fear change to define the terms. Do not simply perform opposition, do the work. If our votes did not matter, those in power would not be fighting so hard to limit it.”

See additional photos from this event on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.