FRANKFORT, K.y. — Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort today as part of nationwide "No Kings" rallies, voicing opposition to how the Trump administration is running the country.
The peaceful demonstration brought together protesters who say they have a different vision of America than President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" message.
"I wanted to make sure I was raising my kids to understand what America used to be like. What it should be like, what it could be like, where the freedom of speech is championed, where empathy and collaboration are championed," Megan Cummins said.
Cummins attended the protest with her daughter, Molly, using the demonstration as a teaching moment.
"We've got to get past the division. If you're a Republican, fine. If you're a Democrat, fine. We used to be a nation where we could talk together, where we just had disagreements," Megan said.
For the family, this marked their first time participating in a peaceful protest. Molly expressed her enthusiasm about the diverse crowd that gathered.
"It doesn't matter what your political party is. It doesn't matter what gender you are, who you love, just love everyone," Molly said.
"There's so many people here, so much diversity here, and it just makes me so happy to see that so many people are coming here to fight for this cause," she added.
Other protesters expressed concerns about threats to democratic institutions under the Trump administration. Some participants said they believe the current political climate resembles historical authoritarian movements.
"My dad fought in World War II. He died as a result of fighting this very same philosophy, this fascist philosophy," one protester said.
"We are being threatened for using and exercising our First Amendment rights, and the fact that people are afraid they're hiding their identities because they're afraid they'll be targeted," she added.
Cummins noted that even people who typically support conservative politics are sharing similar worries.
"I know just from family and friends that have been on the opposite side of the aisle, they're starting to get concerned," Megan said.
Despite the political tensions, protesters emphasized the importance of standing up for their beliefs and working toward positive change.
"It's important we stand up," Megan added.
"There's so much improvement that could be made. It could be so much better," Molly concluded.
