This week, protestors marked President Donald Trump’s one year in office, including at two events in downtown Dayton.
That included rallies at a union hall and in front of U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s office. Many held signs objecting to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and talked about federal funding cuts.
Protests have been a common occurrence over the last year. But at the rally, WYSO witnessed something less common: a protester and a counter-protester having a conversation.
One man objected to the protest at the federal building on Webster and Third.
Standing in the parking lot on the other side of Webster, Donald Taylor shouted and waved a flag.
"Democrats and Republicans used to get along and meet in the middle somewhere. Right now, it's the 'I hate you' and 'I hate you.' Is that truth? Am I right?" Taylor said. "The United States ain't the United States anymore. It's just — it's crap in a hand basket."
Taylor is a veteran and owns a small roofing business. He voted for Trump in 2024.
"You know Obama and Bill Clinton deported more migrants than Trump did? More than him. So what's he doing different? Nothing," Taylor said.
"I know that's your passion, man, I dig it. I got passion too. But I never want to fight you, brother. Never. We're Americans, man."
Ron Beard left the rally to talk with him.
"Hey, nobody's coming at you, and nobody's coming at your service," Beard said. "We appreciate it. But you've got to understand, some of these people feel like victims."
"I don't have a problem with anybody coming here if they want to work," Taylor said.
Beard focused on a key difference with which Taylor did agreed.
"Well, it's a little different," Beard said. "Now we have armed military and the police that wear the badge that says ICE and the problem is a lot of those guys aren't well trained and their agenda is not is not clear. They're not trained, they're not."
As the evening temperature continued dropping into the low 20s, Taylor and Beard debated other topics and then found common ground.
"The United States used to pump up more gas and oil than anybody. And we still do. So why is gas over $2 a gallon? Because people are greedy," said Taylor.
Beard chimed in "Corporate greed."
They said in union, "We both agree on that one. Greed."
This opened a door to a bigger consensus.
"I know that's your passion, man, I dig it. I got passion too. But I never want to fight you, brother. Never. We're Americans, man," Beard said.
"I agree with him that we need to get two groups together and work it out. Just talk something that makes sense," Taylor said.
Ultimately, Beard and Taylor shook hands and wished each other well. Beard returned to the protest rally outside of the federal building. Taylor got back into his aging pick-up truck and drove away.
The protest that Taylor and Beard were at was one of hundreds across the country.
There were two protests in Dayton.
At a different cross downtown, the local chapter of Women’s March gathered in downtown Dayton at the IUE-CWA Union Hall.
There, protestor Leah Stone urged passing drivers to honk with her sign. It read, Be Good–ICE Out. She works in the domestic violence field and worries about federal funding cuts.
Stone believes by participating in these rallies, concerned Daytonians are creating new community.
"A lot feels disempowering right now. A lot feels overwhelming, feels like there's nothing that we can do," Stone said. "Then when I'm with people like this, I feel like I can do something. It starts at a small level. If we're all connecting together and having conversations together and realizing how different we all are, but ending up in the same place. It gives, I think all of us the energy to keep doing this."
