A sign reading “WE THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE SILENCED” is held by an attendee Oct. 18 at the Iowa State Capitol.

News

‘No Kings’ protest brought community to the Iowa State Capitol

Veronica Meiss and Seth Coughlin

Oct 22, 2025

118 Views

Thousands of Iowans gathered Oct. 18 outside the Iowa State Capitol in protest of ICE, the Trump Administration, U.S. Representative Zach Nunn and the current government shutdown.

Thousands of Iowans carrying signs and wearing costumes appeared last Saturday at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines for No Kings Day. The gathering was to protest against ICE, the Trump Administration, U.S. Representative Zach Nunn and the current government shutdown.

A previous “No Kings” protest was held on June 14 for similar reasons. The saying and organization popularized after President Donald Trump compared himself to royalty earlier this year in February.

This Des Moines protest was one of over 2,700 held nationwide. It was hosted by Iowa Representative Rob Johnson, who welcomed 11 speakers, including RAYGUN founder and owner Mike Draper and Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa’s first openly transgender elected official.

Thousands of Iowans gathered Oct. 18 outside the Iowa State Capitol in protest of ICE, the Trump Administration, U.S. Representative Zach Nunn and the current government shutdown. (Veronica Meiss)

A sign saying "PRO-AMERICA, ANTI-TRUMP" and an American flag are held by an attendee of the protest.

Johnson said the thousands of attendees “came together to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for this community.”

“They came out for themselves, for their neighbors, for their families,” Johnson said. “They came out for people that had no idea that they were standing up for this group of unseen folks. And so for me, this moment reminded me that we are definitely stronger together. And real change doesn’t start with headlines or hashtags, but it comes when people decide to show up.”

A sign saying “PRO-AMERICA, ANTI-TRUMP” and an American flag are held by an attendee of the protest. (Veronica Meiss)

Iowa farmer Aaron Laymen was one of 11 speakers at the event. (Veronica Meiss)

Iowa farmer Aaron Layman, who spoke at the protest, emphasized the need for community in his speech.

“The solution is with all of us, all of us together, farmers and workers and consumers, rural and urban. All of us, we are stronger when we work together and when we say, ‘No Kings,’” Layman said.

Two attendees shout encouragements towards the current speaker at the protest. (Veronica Meiss)

Planned Parenthood requested Drake University’s Students for Reproductive Justice, a Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter, to send two volunteers to assist with the protest. SRJ President Keira O’Brien was one of the volunteers who attended. She saw No Kings as a way to “come together in a time of real despair.”

“Honestly, I think any protest in general will always bring solidarity,” O’Brien said. “‘No Kings’ in particular, it’s an opportunity for communities that have been so negatively affected by recent legislation, recent executive orders, things like that, [to just bring] those people together. [It creates] a sense of hope and a sense of belonging and a feeling of just not being alone in this, you know, very tumultuous time.”

O’Brien said seeing other Drake students attend the protest made her feel less alone in her fight.

“I know so many people that have been directly affected by the deployment of ICE across multiple states, the restriction of reproductive health care for women, and all these things that have been happening under the Trump administration,” O’Brien said. “So, it’s hard to not feel isolated during these times, and knowing that there are people that walk the same campus that I do that are just as passionate, if not more passionate than me, it definitely develops a sense of belonging and a sense of security.”

Stephen Ericksen and his wife hold signs they commissioned from a local artist in the Des Moines area.

Johnson said “No Kings” is less about the phrase, but how “we want to present ourselves as a country.”

“I don’t know if people know the history, but we left the king back in the UK, back in Great Britain,” Johnson said. “This is a government for the people, about the people, and this is supposed to be justice and liberty for all.”

Stephen Ericksen, an attendee of the protest, said “No Kings” isn’t just about President Trump.

“This is a Republican Party problem, and more so in his administration,” Ericksen said. “It’s a billionaire problem. We’ve been pitted against red versus blue, left versus right, when in fact, the real people that are bringing these problems to our country are the billionaire class, and it’s that billionaire class that we somehow have to address taxation.”

O’Brien encourages Drake students to get involved in protests such as this.

“Get informed and become more in touch with who you are as a person, what your ideals are as a person, and what you truly believe,” O’Brien said. “That is something that will carry you forward.”

Stephen Ericksen and his wife hold signs they commissioned from a local artist in the Des Moines area. (Veronica Meiss)

Donate to The Times-Delphic

$60

$500

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Drake University. Your contribution will allow us to maintain the website and keep our publication going.