On Feb. 18, over 120 individuals of all ages gathered at Toomer's Corner to protest actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) and the Trump administration as a whole. Specifically, Minneapolis residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed during confrontations with ICE.
Beginning at 5 p.m., the event was coordinated by a national, bipartisan organization called Indivisible. Indivisible has been gaining momentum over the years through its activism, including the organization of the "No Kings" protests. With its boom in popularity and support, Indivisible has spread across the U.S. and all the way to Auburn, which now has a local chapter.
Many Auburn students and residents came out to peacefully protest the Trump administration's "overreach," whether that was ICE's presence or racism as a whole. Some drove by and honked their horns in solidarity.
Volunteers with Auburn's chapter of Indivisible organized the crowd, led chants and made sure participants were welcomed and given a sign if they did not already have one.
Nicole Carter, a member of the steering committee of the Auburn-Opelika Indivisible chapter, described what the local chapter does and how it contributes to the national organization's mission.
"We try to raise awareness primarily of the assault to our Constitution and the harm that’s coming to Americans because of this administration," Carter said. "We do social events. We do activism. We do community service. ... Am I surprised that our events are growing? No. Not at all. As things with this terrible administration ramp up, we will ramp up our organizing."
Nicole Carter says exercising the First Amendment's right to protest has the power to changes lives.
"I think we have the history to support us in this country that things like the Civil Rights Movement with civil disobedience were profoundly impactful and changed people's lives for the better," Carter said. "It didn't take one day. It didn't take one year. It took multiple years and multiple people, and I think if you have the ability to, use your voice right now."
Protesters gather on Toomer's Corner for the Signs of Facism protest on Feb. 18, 2026.
Fellow protester and participant Damarius Nolan-Watts is a regular at the peaceful protests at Toomer's Corner, although he is not officially affiliated with Auburn's Indivisible chapter. Everyday from 5 to 6 p.m., Nolan-Watts can be found at Toomer's Corner for the Toomer’s Sit-In, a routine he has maintained for almost six years. His most recent achievement was achieving 2,089 days of protesting at the Auburn landmark.
Nolan-Watts spoke about the importance of peacefulness to the downtown protesters.
"We're not here to disrupt your lives in any way. We're here to protest peacefully, just like you have an opinion to be against us and what we're doing," Nolan-Watts said. "We welcome anybody that wants to protest with us peacefully."
Helen Moylan, a graduate student in geology, was also present at the event. Moylan spoke about why she felt called to join the protest.
"I went to undergrad in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, so I feel like it's a responsibility that I have to stand up for that community right now," Moylan said.
Moylan spoke further about why she felt drawn to the sign that read "Stereotyping Stokes Fear — This is Fascism" from the array of options provided by the Indivisible organizers.
"[They're] just marginalizing communities that are already hurting," Moylan said. "It's pretty important that we're bringing it to the forefront of the protest and making sure some of the crazy things that are being said aren't going unnoticed."
Protesters gather on Toomer's Corner for the Signs of Facism protest on Feb. 18, 2026.
Protesters Ava Martin, Daniela Escandon and Madlyn Booth decided to show their support at Toomer's Corner, sometimes holding up multiple signs at once. Escandon explained that lack of compassion is what motivated her to participate in the protest.
"It's gotten to the point that cruelty is just becoming more of a thing in today's society, and we need to find that compassion in us at some point," Escandon said.
With the increase in support, the local Indivisible chapter is currently planning more protests, including a tentative plan for a No Kings protest on Saturday, March 28.
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