More than 100 people gathered in front of the Old Courthouse Saturday evening to protest policies of President Donald Trump as part of a nationwide “No Kings” rallies.
Several news sites said that thousands of the protests occurred in the country on Saturday as the president held a military parade to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. armed forces.
Two of the local protest organizers, Jayna Russelburg and Cori Wilke, told those gathered that they wanted the Henderson gathering to be less of an anti-Trump gathering and more of a way to move towards finding commonality and building community.
“We’re tired of the hate,” Wilke said. “We’re tired of the division. At the end of the day, we’re all Americans.”
Russelburg said protestors were looking for “common ground.”
But that didn’t hold for many in the audience, many of whom held signs decrying Trump and his policies.
The protest, which lasted about an hour, featured many from the audience who got on the microphone and shared their beliefs about the state of the country and wrongs committed by the Trump administration. The rally also included the reciting of “The Pledge of Allegiance,” singing “We Shall Overcome” and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
It was also a local introduction of Drew Williams, a 32-year-old from Benton in Marshall County who has filed to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 election cycle. If Williams were to win the Democratic primary, he would most likely face current U.S. Rep. Jamie Comer (R) in the general election.
Williams said he wants to dismantle the “team” approach that is the current status quo of American politics. He said too many people blindly support policies, even if they’re bad policies, because they are being promoted by a member of a person’s political party.
“Good legislation is good legislation,” Williams said. “Good ideas are good ideas.”
He also said he wants to people to quit hating their neighbors because of political beliefs.
“My goal is to bring people together,” he said.
He said he’ll attempt to neutralize Comer’s sizeable financial advantage by having “conversations that resound with people”—conversations he said that veer from team politics, could also lead to disagreements, but will still keep in line with west Kentucky community values that say, “We’re here for each other.”
His slogan, he said, is “I’m here for you.”
Chasity Scott attended the protest because what is currently happening in the U.S. regarding immigration “is not right.”
“I just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t use my voice,” Chasity Scott said.
Her wife, Kimberly Scott, said the U.S. is a country founded on welcoming people. She said federal agents have zip-tied children when detaining them. “That’s just not right,” she said.
Two Henderson Police Department officers were present at the beginning of the rally but as more people joined the protest more officers arrived. The protest was peaceful, and no incidents were witnessed by this reporter. Many motorists passing on Main Street honked to show agreement with the protest.
