Listen Here
By Victoria Hansen
An upside-down flag flew above Flag City as 1,300 protesters with signs, pride flags, and cowbells filled the streets at the third No Kings Protest in Hancock County.
“You know what this flag means, right? It means distress,” said Steve Gliebe, a protester and Marine Corps veteran, waving a large, upside down flag. “Trump’s gotta be stopped, and the whole outfit’s gotta be taken out. They need to lose their jobs.”
With 325 more protesters than the second demonstration in October according to event organizers, protesters stretched around the corner of the block in front of the Hancock County Courthouse to the front of Coffee Amici, almost the entire block. People from across the political spectrum carried hand-made signs with slogans such as “save our democracy,” “MAGA: Mexicans Ain’t Going Anywhere,” and “war is not pro-life.”
“My late wife Maria, she passed away two months ago,” said Bob Welch, a protester. “She got a kidney transplant in ‘21 that added years to her life. She was able to get it because of the Affordable Care Act. And now Trump and his folks are trying to take it away.”
The No Kings protests are a series of non-violent protests against Donald Trump and his policies. The previous No Kings protest on Oct. 18, 2025 is considered one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history according to Britannica, with 7 million protesters across the country.
This protest was similar to previous No Kings protests in Findlay, with musical performances, poetry readings, and responsive chants.
One change from previous No Kings protests in Findlay was an increased police presence, with officers stationed at the front of the courthouse and police cars in the road.
“We have met with the city, Mayor Muryn’s office, and the police chief,” said Cathy Weygandt, community organizer for People Protecting the Constitution. According to Weygandt, at the last No Kings protest, counter-protesters in trucks emitted enough smoke that it hurt some attendees.
“I so appreciate everything the city has done to alleviate that,” Weygandt said. “It’s fixed it completely.”
No counter-protesters were present in-person, but four vehicles drove by waving flags or with bumper stickers endorsing Donald Trump. One car’s passengers sang “YMCA,” a song used at the president’s rallies and yelled that “Trump is your president.”
“We try to keep our people peaceful, and we don’t interact with counter-protesters,” said Kathy McKee, a peacekeeper for the event. “My job is just to watch the perimeter and look for trouble, and if there is, keep it positive.”
Another change from previous protests was the high visibility of religion. Compared to the previous No Kings protest in October, religion played a larger role, with some protesters singing hymns, clergy protesting in collars, and religious signs with messages like “The only king I support,” with a picture of Jesus, “love the stranger,” and “We wave palms, they waive rights,” referring to the upcoming Christian holiday of Palm Sunday.
“All of the things being done under the guise of Christianity is not Christianity at all,” said Jen Miller, pastor of Journey at Christ Church. “Christians need to stand witness and bear witness to the authentic teachings of Jesus, bringing the new Kingdom here on Earth as it is in heaven.”
As the protesters dispersed, Weygandt was hopeful that the protests would lead to a lasting change in the midterms.
“We’re going to see some major amounts of people coming out to vote,” Weygandt said. “We’re going to sweep this place clean and we are going to see everyone come out to vote.”
*Photos by Victoria Hansen
