In Mount Vernon, Ohio, a significant protest event is scheduled for October 18 as part of the nationwide No Kings Day of Action. This initiative aims to gather residents in nonviolent protest against what organizers describe as President Trump's authoritarian actions. The event will take place at 1 PM on the Public Square and is organized by Signs on the Square and Knox County Ohio Indivisible.
Joan Slonczewski, founder of Signs on the Square, emphasized their ongoing commitment since 2017 to stand against policies they believe harm citizens and various sectors like education and the environment. Meg Galipault, founder of Knox Indivisible, said, "President Trump continues to pretend he’s a dictator, and we are standing up again to push back against his authoritarian actions."
The upcoming protest follows a previous large-scale demonstration on June 14, where over five million people participated across all 50 states. This next step in the movement includes more than 20 communities in Central Ohio hosting rallies throughout the day, culminating in a protest at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus from 4:00-5:30 pm.
No Kings Mount Vernon is part of a broader coalition involving groups such as ACLU, American Federation of Teachers, and MoveOn. A full list of partners can be found at www.nokings.org/partners. Interested participants can register for the Mount Vernon event online.
A core principle of these events is nonviolence and community safety. Organizers have been trained in de-escalation techniques to manage potential confrontations peacefully. Attendees are advised not to bring weapons to these gatherings.
Knox County has seen changes in its educational demographics recently. In the 2023-24 school year, Mount Vernon High School had the largest enrollment among local schools with 913 students (https://education.ohio.gov/). The county's student body was predominantly non-Hispanic white at 91.6%, with multiracial students making up 3.5% (https://education.ohio.gov/). Overall enrollment decreased by 1.8% compared to the previous year (https://education.ohio.gov/).
