Lexington ‘No Kings’ rally to remain peaceful amid anti-ICE protests in LA

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Thousands of ‘No Kings’ rallies are expected to take place this weekend. More than 20 are planned in the Bluegrass, including Lexington.

The protest will take place on Saturday at 12 at Lexington’s Robert F. Kennedy Stephens Federal Courthouse Plaza.

With anti-ICE protests making waves across the country, organizers of Saturday’s protest are reminding everyone to keep it peaceful.

“It shouldn’t be that hard to keep it peaceful here,” said organizer Annabel Nagel. “We’ve held multiple of these rallies before right here in Lexington, and nothing has gone wrong.”

By Saturday afternoon, the quiet plaza will transform into a sea of signs and voices with thousands of Kentuckians rallying against the current administration.

“We feel the need to step up anytime something goes wrong within our government, whether it be state or local; we want people to feel like they have a voice,” Nagel added. “We want D.C. and the Trump administration to hear us and hear our concerns and know that we care and we are ready to get mobilized.”

Nagel said they’re well aware of how protests have escalated in L.A., but said this one is built on non-violent principles.

“We’re taking extra precautions to make it safe and everyone feels comfortable and nothing dangerous happens,” Nagel said. “We have volunteers dedicated to safety and helping people cross roads, just making sure everything stays as legal and as calm as possible.”

More than 2,000 people have already signed up, and while organizers hope for more, they understand the hesitation after what’s happened in L.A.

“This is a fully peaceful protest. Everything we’re doing is going to be legal. We have permits, and everything is in line with all of the organizers. They have experience; we’ve been through this before,” added Nagel.

The Lexington Police Department stated that they are aware of events occurring across the country and are monitoring developments in Lexington.