Protesters filled both sides of State Street on Saturday afternoon as Westerville participated in a nationwide day of protest called the “No Kings” rally. This coordinated event responded to calls for large demonstrations against the political influence and rhetoric of President Donald Trump. With some estimates placing national turnout in the millions, the Westerville rally stretched from the public library to Amish Originals Furniture, filling sidewalks and intersections and marking one of the largest political gatherings in the city’s history.
Bold signage, chants, costumes, and a steady wave of coordinated noise characterized the demonstration. Protesters carried a wide range of hand-drawn signs, some serious and others satirical. Messages included “No Crown for a Clown,” “This All Ends When Enough of Us Say No,” and “Only You Can Prevent Fascist Liars.” Others showcased patriotic imagery or referenced historical quotes about liberty and government power.
A constant call-and-response echoed through the street as cars went by. Drivers honked, waved, and displayed signs from their windows and sunroofs, sparking cheers and whistles from the sidewalks. The sound traveled block by block, growing louder as it flowed with the traffic, forming a wave of support and defiance that became a key rhythm of the protest.
Participants included people of all ages and lifestyles: young children in strollers, teens wearing band T-shirts and jeans, college students with bullhorns, middle-aged parents dressed in patriotic gear, and seniors holding signs from folding chairs. The protest moved both on foot and on wheels, with some walking the route and others riding in off-road vehicles, tandem bikes, vintage convertibles, or pickup trucks turned into rolling grandstands with lawn chairs in the back.
Throughout the event, crowd safety monitors patrolled the route, urging participants to stay on the sidewalks. As the monitors moved through, protesters often regrouped into the spaces between parked cars and open areas, filling sidewalks at cross streets and creating a dense, continuous line of people through Uptown.
Not everyone welcomed the disruption. Several Uptown businesses reported difficulties operating during the rally. Shop owners noted blocked access points, crowded sidewalks, and decreased foot traffic on what is usually a busy Saturday for retail and restaurants, with most declining to comment publicly due to concerns about social media backlash. At least one business owner reported no drop in sales but acknowledged that others in the area might have been affected differently.
The crowd left quickly after about 90 minutes, leaving little trace behind. There was no litter on the sidewalks or streets, no trash piled up or scattered around. The protest concluded as it had begun — organized, focused, and disciplined, with only faint echoes indicating where the movement had once passed through Uptown.
The rally stayed peaceful, with the only reported incident involving an older protester needing medical help. Westerville Fire Division medics arrived and transported the individual for further assessment.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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Thanks for this report of an important event and reporting the peaceful Patriots that respected the City of Westerville by leaving the area as clean as when the crowds assembled and the diversity of participants.
I’m so proud of everyone for making it a peaceful protest and not leaving litter or trash behind.