By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Charles and Deb Eichman drove back from Nappanee to their home in Warsaw Saturday with hopes of checking out the No Kings protest, but did not expect much of a crowd.
Upon arriving, they stood on the steps of the CVS Pharmacy and looked out in awe at the hundreds of people lined up along North Detroit Street, participating in a peaceful protest that fueled a nearly endless sound of honking horns that continued for more than two hours from passersby supporting the movement against President Donald Trump.
Deb had tears in her eyes as she watched.
Such a turnout in one of the most conservative counties in Indiana, she said, was “staggering.”
Charles Eichman sounded hopeful.
“You think your voice is not being heard, and it is, not just here but all around the country,” Charles said. “I just hope people in charge are going to listen.”
He said he hopes the national movement would lead to at least a discussion between the two parties.
“It should open a dialogue. There have to be people on the other side of the political spectrum that feel like everyone here does,” he said.
Just a few feet away, two sisters stood along the sidewalk with three other family members, including a 34-year-old non-verbal disabled man in a wheelchair.
The five had just arrived from Elkhart, where they attended another No Kings rally.
One of them, Roxanne Manhaut, mentioned numerous issues that bother her about Trump, including his penchant for lying, but said she is most concerned about her son’s future.
She’s worried about the prospect of more budget cuts that have been implemented in the past nine months without Congressional input.
Her son suffered a heart attack at the age of five.
“He goes to a day program now. If we were to lose that, I don’t know what we would do,” Manhaut said. “I hate it when they say disabled people should be out working. He can’t work. He can barely stand up and walk.”
Her concerns are extensive.
“I’m sad we have to spend a day doing this, but … I want a president I don’t have to think about all the time,” Manhaut said, turning to her sister, Connie Schermerhorn,
“Remember those days?” she said.
Saturday’s rally was one of nearly 2,000 held across the country in opposition to President Trump’s increasing use of authoritarian tactics on a wide range of issues that continue as Republican members of Congress remain overwhelmingly silent.
The event in Warsaw was the biggest of the summer – estimated by an organizer to be nearly 350 people — and was by far the loudest, accentuated by two people using bullhorns and accompanied by chants, cheers, and even the music of John Lennon.
Republican leaders had warned that the No Kings protests, which they claimed were fueled by Antifa, and would likely turn violent in some cities, but that was not the case.
The Warsaw gathering included many peole waving American flags and it remained peaceful despite efforts by a few counterprotesters in cars who tried to send a message by blaring their horns and revving car engines.
Marc Redding used a bullhorn throughout the rally to sporadically echo famous quotes by the founders of the country as well as snippets from historic documents.
“I wanted to make sure my voice is heard. It’s important. People don’t understand that Democracy is on the line here. Freedom is on the line. We have to take a stand,” Redding said.
Russ Reahard, a staunch Republican who previously ran for the statehouse, was one of the few counterprotesters who chose to stand alongside others. He wore a customized red MAGA hat with a sign that listed his priorities.
He said his conversations with protesters were cordial and polite.
City and county law enforcement patrolled the rally, and one onlooker said she saw one counter-protester who was pulled over by police after creating a plume of smoke with his tires while in the street.
Below are more images from the protest. All photos by Dan Spalding.
