A pro-democracy rally was held in Lima on Thursday.
Held at the Veterans Freedom Flag Monument located on Buckeye Road, the event brought residents together to look back at past events and the current state of democracy.
The event was organized by Allen and Hardin for Election Action & Democracy (AHEAD) and brought a number of guest speakers.
Some speakers chose to talk about the founding fathers' vision for democracy and further stated that today's society is responsible for upholding it.
"They weren't sure it was going to last," said Dr. Perry Bush of Bluffton University. "They called on us be vigilant about democracy, take care of it, and to honor it, and to defend it."
Bush continued, "We all know what happened a year ago in Washington D.C... To just assume democracy is always going to be there and always be okay. Events a year ago and since then has awakened the lot of us that is not always okay, that there are real threats to democracy."
Other residents talked to the crowd in order to promote their views on democracy.
"You don't feel you are an immigrant when you are an American citizen," stated Maha Zehery, a Lima resident. "I live in Lima, Ohio, can't imagine how popular we are, and you feel that you are an American citizen."
