Thousands show up to No Kings protests in Downtown Dayton

MIAMI VALLEY — Thousands showed up to protest Donald Trump’s administration across the country on Saturday, with several taking place in the Miami Valley.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00 on our WHIO streaming app or WHIO.com, just over 5,000 gathered in Courthouse Square in Dayton on Saturday.

They had one common goal.

“We, the people, demand change,” said Sean Wilt.

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Wilt spoke with News Center 7’s Malik Patterson on Saturday. He said in the past that he would not speak out about issues. But now, he wants to be on the front lines.

“We need better treatment for everybody in America,” said Wilt.

Patterson said that among the people in the crowd were Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims and Miami Valley state lawmaker Willis Blackshear, Jr.

Mims said the budget cuts are what brought him out to protest.

“I am brokenhearted and disappointed that we have people right now at the Washington, D.C. level who are taking those rights away,” he said.

Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno responded to the protests in a social media post.

“George Soros funded protests, headlined by the Communist Party of America, have people taking to the streets to oppose:”

He listed off what he called the GOP accomplishments:

George Soros funded protests, headlined by the Communist Party of America, have people taking to the streets to oppose:

✅Secure borders
✅A strong military
✅Deportations of criminals aliens
✅Removing non citizens from social safety programs
✅Peace in the Middle East…
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) October 18, 2025

Miami Valley Congressman Warren Davidson also responded to the protests on social media.

“I wonder how a ‘No Kings’ rally would go over in the UK, where they not only have a king, but they’re now locking people up for sharing memes,” he said on Friday night.

🤔 I wonder how a "No Kings" rally would go over in the UK, where they not only have a king, but they're now locking people up for sharing memes.
— Warren Davidson 🇺🇸 (@WarrenDavidson) October 18, 2025

Patterson said Blackshear addressed the government shutdown and the uncertainties it had.

“Going to work, not getting a paycheck, folks who are making a ton of money, in some cases, but they still have to show up,” he said. “It’s important as people that we speak up about what’s going on.”

Wilt told Patterson that he hopes to have another protest where everyone can meet, no matter their political views.

“I wanted to show everybody that this is not like a left-first-right issue. This is a people issue,” he said.

Patterson reports that many protesters said they want to continue to show solidarity across the nation with these demonstrations.

We will continue to update this story.

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