On Saturday, March 28, 2026, massive protests erupted across the United States and parts of Europe in a coordinated series of rallies known as "No Kings." These demonstrations brought together millions of people united in opposition to the war in Iran, President Donald Trump's policies, and various social and political issues affecting the country. Organizers anticipated the largest turnout yet, with expectations of around nine million participants nationwide, marking a significant increase from earlier events held in June and October of the previous year.
Minnesota emerged as the focal point of the protests, with thousands gathering on the Capitol lawn and surrounding streets in St. Paul. The event there was designated as the national flagship rally, recognizing the state's role as a prominent center of resistance against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement. This spotlight was largely due to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota, incidents that had sparked widespread outrage and protests over the winter.
The St. Paul rally featured a standout performance by Bruce Springsteen, who debuted a new song titled "Streets of Minneapolis." Springsteen wrote the piece in response to the deaths of Good and Pretti and as a tribute to the thousands of Minnesotans who protested the federal government's immigration crackdown. Before performing, he expressed his sorrow over the shootings but also praised the community's resilience and activism. "Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America," he said. "And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand."
The rally's lineup also included renowned folk singer Joan Baez, actress and activist Jane Fonda, Senator Bernie Sanders, and numerous other labor leaders, elected officials, and grassroots activists. Police in St. Paul closed several streets to accommodate the massive crowd, which organizers estimated exceeded 200,000 people - surpassing attendance at the notable Women's March of 2017.
The "No Kings" rallies were held in cities and towns across the country, from the densely populated New York City, with its 8.5 million residents, to the small town of Driggs, Idaho, which has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. The latter is notable as a conservative area that Trump won decisively in the 2024 election, illustrating the breadth and diversity of the protest movement. Organizers reported that more than 3,100 events were registered across all 50 states, an increase of 500 from the previous October's rallies.
Major cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and various locations in Texas and Southeast Michigan saw large turnout. Philadelphia's downtown was filled with thousands of demonstrators, shutting down roadways during the rally. In Chicago, groups like Indivisible Chicago and the ACLU of Illinois played prominent roles in organizing the event. Meanwhile, Detroit and several suburbs in Michigan hosted at least 40 separate gatherings throughout the day.
Despite the widespread participation, the White House dismissed the protests as largely driven by "leftist funding networks" and lacking broad public support. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, downplayed the demonstrations, suggesting that only journalists covering the events cared about the protests. This response underscored the administration's ongoing confrontational stance toward dissent and activism.
The protesters' grievances extended beyond immigration enforcement. The war in Iran was a major point of contention, alongside concerns about the rollback of transgender rights and broader opposition to what many described as authoritarian tendencies in the Trump administration. In Washington, D.C., hundreds marched from the Lincoln Memorial into the National Mall, carrying signs with slogans like "Put down the crown, clown" and "Regime change begins at home." Participants rang bells, played drums, and chanted "No kings," symbolizing their rejection of what they saw as autocratic rule.
Among the protesters was Bill Jarcho from Seattle, who attended with a group dressed as insects wearing tactical vests labeled "LICE" - a satirical jab at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jarcho described their presence as a form of "mock and awe," using humor to undermine and ridicule authoritarianism, which he believed those in power despised.
San Diego police reported about 40,000 marchers took part in the "No Kings" event there, marking another significant turnout on the West Coast. In New York, Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, spoke at a news conference, emphasizing that the Trump administration and its supporters sought to intimidate people from protesting. "They want us to be afraid that there's nothing we can do to stop them," she said. "But you know what? They are wrong - dead wrong."
Interestingly, two-thirds of those who RSVP'd for the rallies were from outside major urban centers. This included conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota, and Louisiana, as well as competitive suburban areas in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona. This geographic diversity highlighted the broad-based nature of the protests, cutting across political and demographic lines.
The "No Kings" movement also extended globally, with solidarity protests occurring in more than a dozen countries. Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible - one of the groups spearheading the rallies - noted that in countries with constitutional monarchies, the protests were framed as "No Tyrants" rallies. This international dimension demonstrated the global resonance of the movement's themes of resistance to authoritarianism and war.
In Rome, thousands marched in defiance of Premier Giorgia Meloni's conservative government. The Italian government had recently suffered a setback when a referendum aimed at streamlining the judiciary failed amid concerns that it threatened judicial independence. Protesters in Rome also condemned Israeli and U.S. military actions against Iran, calling for "A world free from wars."
London's protests similarly targeted the war in Iran, with demonstrators holding banners reading "Stop the far right" and "Stand up to Racism." These messages connected broader struggles against right-wing extremism and racism with opposition to war and authoritarianism.
In Paris, several hundred people gathered at the historic Bastille, including many Americans living in France as well as French labor unions and human rights organizations. Ada Shen, organizer of the Paris "No Kings" event, expressed her opposition to what she described as Trump's "illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars."
The widespread and multifaceted nature of the "No Kings" protests reflected deep divisions and frustrations in the United States and beyond. While the rallies focused on immediate issues like immigration enforcement and the conflict in Iran, they also embodied a broader demand for democracy, social justice, and peace. The protests underscored the resilience of grassroots activism in the face of political challenges and highlighted the power of collective action to bring diverse communities together around shared principles.
As the day concluded, it remained to be seen whether the organizers' optimistic attendance projections would be fully realized. However, the sheer scale and geographic reach of the protests marked them as one of the most significant displays of dissent in recent years, signaling a continuing wave of activism that could shape political discourse in the months and years to come.