'No Kings' protests against the policies of President Trump occurred throughout Northeast Ohio Saturday, with participants citing increased immigration crackdowns, proposed changes to voting practices and the war in Iran as top concerns.
At the protest in Lakewood, west of Cleveland, Kathy Hartzell of North Olmsted said she and her husband attended to let the Trump administration know, "We see them, we are watching them."
Hartzell added, 鈥淚'm here to contribute to the voices that oppose what's going on in this administration, that want to protect our votes, protect women's rights."
The Republican-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (known as the SAVE America Act) would require voters to prove their U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote, and ban IDs without a photo at polling places. The legislation has been criticized for targeting immigrants.
In Chardon, the county seat of Republican-leaning Geauga County, about 300 protestors congregated in the town square. Nearby, a group of pro-Trump counter-protestors held flags with messages such as "Trump Won."
Tim Litts, 67, of Chardon, said he frequently voted Republican in presidential elections prior to Trump's candidacy.
"What I hope this accomplishes is more moderate Republicans get away from (Trump)," Litts said, holding a sign that read "Sometimes you gotta flush twice."
In Downtown Cleveland, where a large crowd gathered around the Free Stamp public sculpture, several elected officials spoke about the need to push for reform in the November election and beyond.
"Dissent is patriotic," said Democratic State Sen. Nickie Antonio. "And when we stand together and take back our country, it is an amazing, beautiful, beautiful thing. And that's what we're doing today."
Steve Streepy, of Rocky River, said he was attending his first protest, and came downtown mostly because of the inaction he sees from Democrats.
"It doesn't appear as though the Senate or the House are doing anything about (Trump's policies)," he said. "They just give him whatever he wants."
The protests' organizers had said on the national 'No Kings' website they expected Saturday's events to be "the biggest protest in U.S. history."
There were planned in cities across the U.S., and a few in Mexico and Canada. It was the third national protest effort by 'No Kings,' a coalition of progressive activists that contends President Trump's actions are more similar to a monarch than a democratically-elected president.
The White House was dismissive of the protests.
"The only people who care about these ... are the reporters who are paid to cover them," said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
Last October, after the last round of national protests drew a reported 5 million attendees, Trump called them "a joke."
"I looked at the people," Trump added. "They're not representative of this country."
