This Could Be the ‘Largest Protest in American History’
People take part in a "No Kings" protest in Washington on Feb. 17 near the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)
A third round of “No Kings” protests is set for this spring, with organizers planning their largest demonstrations yet across the United States to challenge what they describe as authoritarian actions under President Trump. Previous rallies drew millions of participants, and organizers say they expect even bigger turnout on March 28, following Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, which has resulted in violent clashes and the deaths of two people.
“We expect this to be the largest protest in American history,” Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, told the AP ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. He predicted as many as 9 million people could participate.
“No Kings” protests, coordinated by a network of groups nationwide, have become a key outlet for public opposition to what organizers see as Trump’s attempts to consolidate power. Last year, Trump dismissed attendees as “not representative of the people of our country,” insisting, “I’m not a king.” While the latest round of protests was planned before the Minneapolis crackdown, the recent deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents have intensified organizers’ focus.
Levin said the protests aim to show “support for Minnesota and immigrant communities all over” and to oppose “the secret police force that is murdering Americans and infringing on their basic constitutional rights.”
“The only way to defend those rights is to exercise them, and you do that in nonviolent but forceful ways, and that’s what I expect to see in ‘No Kings’ three,” Levin added.
The first “No Kings” rallies in June took place in nearly 2,000 locations nationwide, following unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. They also coincided with a military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s birthday.
During a second round of protests in October, demonstrations occurred in approximately 2,700 cities and towns. At the time, Levin cited Trump’s immigration policies, his promises to leverage federal power in midterm elections, restrictions on press freedoms, and retaliatory actions against political opponents. “This isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans,” Levin said. “This is about: Do we have a democracy at all, and what are we going to tell our kids and our grandkids about what we did in this moment? I think that demands this kind of persistent engagement.”
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