Metronashville Police will take custody 19-year-old Elijah Miller, who carried a handgun at a “No Kings” rally in Nashville on June 14, 2025. (Photo: Cassandra Stevenson/Tennesse Seal Checkout)

(This story has been updated.)

Metro Nashville police officers arrested a masked counter protester who raised a handgun and a “no-kings” flag in a “no-kings” protest during the “no-kings” protest in Nashville on Saturday.

No shots were fired.

Kase Cosgrove, a US Marine Corps veteran and safety volunteer attending the protest, said he approached him after other protesters said people were armed, spitting and crushing them while walking through the crowd.

Cosgrove says he walked towards the man and is later identified as 19-year-old Elijah Miller of Murfreesboro and watches him slam what appears to be a handgun and pulls it out of the holster to show the people armed. Cosgrove approached him and tried to talk to him, but three police officers quickly arrived, recovering the weapon and handcuffing the man.

Cosgrove said the protest, which is part of a nationwide protest against the Trump administration, is peaceful and worthy of musicality in the music city.

Thousands of people attended the protests, lined up the sidewalks along Jefferson Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard. Walking through Bicentennial Park after a short gathering at the park’s amphitheater. Cheers, instruments and car corners echoed up and down the street.

Protesters are ageing from young adults to older adults, and many have brought children and dogs.

“Everyone else is calm,” Cosgrove said. ”. . He was trying to cause problems. ”

The protesters yelled at the man as police put him in the MNPD golf cart. Cosgrove was inside, screaming, “You stomped!”

The still-hiding man responded by showing his middle finger to the crowd.

When police stolen away, the protesters turned to the officer and said, “Thank you for keeping us safe.”