People were dressed in inflatable costumes while others carried colorful signs with messages reading: “Rage against the regime,” “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.” and “No Faux-King Way” as constituents from across the state gathered together at the Statehouse to express their dissatisfaction with the Trump administration.
A "No Kings" protest was held on the Statehouse grounds Saturday afternoon. It was one of the over 2,700 No Kings events held across the nation, including anchor events in New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu.
Some protesters, such a first-year biochemistry student Era Bhide, saw the protest as a rally of unity, not only in the state but the country.
“Being here and seeing so many people of all ages and ethnicities showing their support for both each other and for what our country was made for, it’s amazing,” Bhide said.
This event has been in the works for around a month, according to Cindy Davis, founder and co-director of Indivisible Upstate SC, a local chapter of the nationwide, non-partisan and pro-democracy Indivisible Project.
“I think sometimes people just think that a protest is announced, and we all just show up and it happens," Davis said. "But it doesn’t work that way. There’s so much that goes into it to make it be well-organized and safe and effective in order for everybody to come together like we’re doing this weekend."
50501 organizer and protest co-chair Brandy Hancock has been working with other groups to make this event a large protest, with representative organizations from across the state. Hancock said she sees her work in helping to organize this event as something that reaches beyond just the protest itself.
“It’s very fulfilling to help people understand that they have a voice, and that their voices are important, and these kind of events are important, and that the power really belongs to the people and that’s how it should be,” Hancock said.
50501 is a national protest movement that came to Columbia in February, when it started holding rallies at the Statehouse.
The attendees lined up on the sidewalk in front of the Statehouse, using their voices to chant as well as sing along with musicians who were playing patriotic songs, such as "America the Beautiful," on their trumpets.
Fourth-year music composition student George Bernard was one of those musicians.
“There are few things that are more powerful than a group of people united under a single song," Bernard said.
First-year public relations major Ellie Anthony said she hopes the protest fosters change in the government going forward.
“I’m just hoping that they choose to listen to all of the voices and realize that listening is important and so is taking action based on it,” Anthony said.
A variety of speakers took to the podium on the Statehouse steps a little before 2 p.m. The speeches and messages only added to the general theme of the day: making the people’s voice heard.
“Protests do matter. They may not immediately change policy or culture, but they can stir something within your soul, and if you can take that passion and find a group out here that shares it and turn it into action, then truly the protest has been effective,” a speaker from 50501, said.
The sentiments shared during the event are something that college-age protesters take with them beyond the Statehouse grounds, Bhide said.
“As college students we have that power to go out, vote for people who we believe will have a positive impact, not only on society but on the greater good of our world,” Bhide said.