Protestors march at statehouse once more in opposition to Trump
By Caleb Crockett, TheStatehouseFile.com
Mar 4, 2025
On the eve of President Donald Trump’s congressional address, hundreds of protestors marched again outside of the Indiana Statehouse chanting, “Take it back,” and “America has no kings,” to express their disdain for the administration.
The march, similar to the one that took place in February, was a part of the nationwide 50501 (representing 50 states, 50 capitals, and one protest) movement to protest Trump’s administration.
Scott Johnson, Indiana’s state leader for 50501, was the facilitating speaker at the protest.
“The ultimate goal is that Trump shouldn’t be in office,” He said. “We are in a constitutional crisis, he is in violation of the law, and we got rid of Nixon for that right? So this can be done.”
Johnson then detailed what Trump had done to ignite the protestors’ rebellion.
“What we have seen over the past month and 10 days has been a profound approach to lawlessness,” Johnson said. “This isn’t Trump 1.0. I don’t like the man, I’ll admit it, but Trump 1.0 mostly operated within the boundaries of the law. Trump 2.0 from pretty much the moment he entered office has been defying the rule of law.”
Jackson Franklin, 25, has launched a challenge to Republican Rep. Victoria Sparks for Indiana’s fifth congressional district.
“United we can stand together and fight these oligarchs that are running our politics,” Franklin said. “The swamp is filled with corruption.”
A protestor named Patrick, who declined to give his last name, shared what was so frustrating to him about Trump.
“The lies, just the lies,” Patrick said. “Every day citizens have to wake up, listen to statements and go check them. And when your world leader, the leader of the free world, can’t even tell you what’s honest, then everybody is threatened.”
Photo by Caleb Crockett, TheStatehouseFile.com.
Johnson and Franklin described how the protests are just one step towards accomplishing what they see as a nationwide transformation.
“We need to rediscover our political voice. We need to do better than we’ve done,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to see the violent protests we see in France, but we absolutely need to have the people in there realize,” he said gesturing to the Statehouse, “‘You know what? I can’t do it the way I’ve been doing it.’”
Protestors were vocal as they carried hand-made signs and made several laps around the Statehouse building. Even though no lawmakers spoke or appeared to participate in the rally, Franklin is optimistic that the 50501 message is reaching a wider audience.
“People are standing up now, this is a real movement,” Franklin said. “We’re forcing change; these politicians have to hear us.”
Franklin then said, “People who make peaceful protest impossible, make violent protest inevitable.” He attributed the quote to Martin Luther King Jr. However, it was actually President John F. Kennedy that said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
Patrick explained what he believes is driving the public to participate in these marches.
“You know we see something precious, our democracy that we fought so hard for, slowly being chipped away without explanation and largely without evidence,” Patrick said. “These people here, we are all just unhappy. Not unhappy with democracy, but unhappy with what’s going on and what they’re doing.”
Johnson said that he believes that one day, change will arrive.
“Will it happen today? Absolutely not,” Johnson said. “Will it happen at the next protest? Probably not. Will it happen someday? Absolutely.”
Caleb Crockett is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
