Olivia Jochims spent her 18th birthday at a protest. Standing among hundreds gathered outside the Sioux City Public Museum on Saturday, the teenager from Marcus said she felt compelled to speak out and hopes other young adults will do the same.
“I just don't think a lot of people my age know about everything, so they don’t concern themselves,” Jochims said. “This is concerning, and we need to use our voices to make it known what we feel.”
Jochims was one of more than 300 people who turned out in Sioux City for "No Kings" protests held across Iowa and beyond. A map on the No Kings website showed more than 60 events in the state. Organizers estimate that at least 8 million people gathered at more than 3,300 locations worldwide.
“The more we speak, the more we can actually do something about what’s going on,” Jochims said. “I just think Trump’s a loser, he doesn’t deserve to be in power.”
Others in the crowd brought even more experience to the demonstration.
Rosie McNertney of Sioux City said she attended several recent events organized by local activists who are concerned with President Donald Trump's actions in office.
“One time, we had more than 1,000 people. But this is good,” McNertney said.
McNertney said her concerns range from the war in Iran to rising prices and immigration policy.
“I want people to know that we believe in love, not hate, and that immigrants are welcome here,” McNertney said.
That message resonates for some in Sioux City, where about 12% of residents were born outside the U.S., according to city officials.
At the same time, the region remains deeply conservative.
Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Sioux City, is the most Republican-leaning in the state, with GOP voters outnumbering Democrats by more than 2-to-1. In Woodbury County, more than 60% of voters supported Trump in 2024.
Even so, some attendees said their political views don’t fit neatly into party lines. Mary Lou Olson of nearby McCook Lake, S.D., described herself as an independent voter frustrated with the current political climate.
“My belief is Trump must go. He’s a horrible disgrace for our country. He’s a felon. He’s disrespectful," Olson said. "I don’t want my grandkids to look up to somebody like that.”
Before leaving the protest, Jochims found an unexpected connection. She met Jean Carlson of Sioux City, who was also celebrating a birthday.
“I’m now 77 years old, and I feel like President Trump is the worst president in my life,” Carlson said. “I’m here to support people who want a new president. We want truth in government. We want people to be mutually respected.”
Carlson, a former teacher and elementary school principal, said she’s troubled by what she sees in the U.S. today.
“We taught our kids to get along and work with each other — that’s how you solve problems,” she said. “It’s got to be a give and take, and we don’t have that in our national government right now.”
Carlson added a note of appreciation for the group around her.
“I just want to thank the people who came out to support those who are unhappy in America right now,” Carlson said.
While Sioux City drew a few hundred people, the largest rally in Iowa took place in Des Moines, where protesters pointed to a range of concerns, including immigration enforcement, unrest in the Middle East and LGBTQ rights.
Organizers said the demonstrations are meant to push back against what they view as abuses of power, arguing that the president is acting more like a monarch than a democratically elected leader.
